Study the ways in which the social group "makes and uses". All groups need to "make and use" - in the Heideggeran understanding, this "making and using" is technology, both as devices / tools / artifacts, as well as the meanings associated with it. The "making and using" can be inferred / understood at three levels (after Hannah Arendt) 1. Making and Using for survival and sustenance - making and using associated with food, clothes, and shelter. This is the most tangible level of "making and using" which can easily be studied. 2. Making and using for creating structures that provide coherence, significance and meaning to the social group in terms of their lived experience / lives and the historical -social -mythical consciousness connected to it, in fact this level is about Art (in any form - dance, artifacts, music) in the social group 3. Making and using as contributing to the Polis of the group - reinforcing, recreating, maintaining structures of the social group and the role of its members Any form of "making and using" would be intertwined at all the three levels. The students would engage with the social group and focus on "making and using" - choose one form of "making and using" that seems significant to the social group, and through their engagement which would include an apprenticeship understand these three levels as much as they can be inferred.
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chimney Work Place & Houses Dhil haran House Office room Gate Bricks ready to sale Black Soil Saw Dust & Ash Water tank Forest Road
Profile of members of the social group Social Group Dilharan and his family Possible reasons for the choice I’m Very much interested in brick making technology. Dhilharan Nayak He is the main (head) person in the family. He is 40 years old he studied up to 2nd class, he can read Hindi to some extent. He is doing agriculture and brick making from his childhood. He got married and has 3 children. He has habit of drinking alcohol during weekends. He is Very calm and Ethical person. Taruna Banjaran Nayak Wife of Dhilharan Nayak, taruna is a home maker. As from her childhood she has been doing labor works so called now she is helping her husband in doing bricks and simultaneously she looks after family and children. She cooks non-veg tasty.
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Shiva and prathiksha Shiva 14 year’s boy, 7th discontinued, he helps his father in field. Prathiksha 12 year’s girl, 5th discontinued, she helps her mother in cooking. These two children always they fight with each other, prathiksha attitude is like she will call her brother with name (Shiva)... Because her brother calls her with her name prathiksha not as sister so she also calls his with name (Shiva) not brother. “ATTITUDE” Shiva is like he feels that he well grown matured boy and he act in that way. “ATTITUDE”,
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The Making and Using of Craft/technology:
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An Ethnographic study on Brick Makers and Experimental
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Approach to Technological Choices.
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Ethnography can be defined as a method involving the immersion of a researcher ‘in a social setting for
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an extended period of time observing behavior, listening to what is said… and asking questions’
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-Bryman-
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January first week we had meeting with Jiginesh I don’t remember the date on that day he given us
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some instructions to do an ethnography on crafts. I went to Bangalore for one week 9th – 16th after
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coming to Gandhinagar I saw the Jiginesh mail as Using and making on craft technology.
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When Jiginesh told us to do an ethnography on crafts the first thing comes into my mind is craft making
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is an ancient technology so called we have been given this. At the same time I recall Anand words like
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spoon is also one type of technology. So the very first thing came into my mind when I heard
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technology is Sindhu civilization because first and foremost the brick technology was started in that
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period. So I decided to do my ethnography on brick making.
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Last time when I have done my ethnography I preferred Telugu speaking people and chose Andhra
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canteen in venkateshwara temple. I collected so much data, but was unable to translate it to English.
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But now with some confidence I would like to go anywhere else without language preference. I don’t
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know much Hindi but with some understanding I can handle it and step ahead.
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19th-January
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So immediately I mailed to Jiginesh that can I do ethnography on brick makers. In between I started
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searching for craft making industries. I asked some of my friends is this brick making will comes under
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craft or not. They said we also don’t know, even am also in that same confusion, so I totally depend on
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Jiginesh answer, if he says yes, then I’ll do ethno on brick makers but for now safe side I have to get
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some other craft people’s details. I asked pranoy, surabhi they have given me some details of some
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craft makers, then I got an address of paper industry in Google. Then I decided to go paper mill first
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because address and phone number is there. After that I will move to bricks based on Jiginesh
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decision.
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20th-January 5
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Firstly, I am going to paper industry Kalamkush near Gandhi Ashram and talked to the owner, he told
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me to come on tomorrow by sharp at 8.00 AM so that everyone can talk to you and give you
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information of your interest. .I asked about the work timings they told me 7.30 AM to 4.30 PM break is
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from 11.00AM to 1.00P. Then I asked can I start from today itself? Then owner replied bring letter from
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your college tomorrow, then I will tell you whether to start or not. So I returned from that place got into
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Gandhinagar bus. While traveling, I decided to go to the brick making industry without wasting my time,
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but if I go directly to brick making industry I may be late to collect letter from office. So I dropped my
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decision and I thought first I will go to the hostel and had lunch, then I will collect letters from the office
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then will go to brick making industry. Had lunch and Went to office, but Nirmala madam is not there.
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Zithu bhai told me she is in maternity leave I have taken charge instead of her. He told that he doesn’t
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know the letter format and he ask me to come tomorrow morning and collect the letter.
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I came back to my room started searching about brick makers and where they live in Gandhinagar?
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But as I don’t have bike how can I go and search if I ask anyone they will not give me a bike anyway.
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Those who give they are not there in campus .It’s almost 3.30 PM I’m scary of hot sun as I was dam
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tiered I was dropped. I didn’t get letter so I decide to collect the letter tomorrow morning and will go to
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search brick makers if I didn’t find them, then the day after tomorrow I will go to the paper mill with a
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letter. So I decided to take a rest.
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But, the same day I got mail from Jiginesh saying that brick makers are fine as I too have an interest in
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brick makers I decided to go in search of brick makers if they got and accept to do ethnography. I’ll
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continue my ethnography on brick makers.
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21st January
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Earlier I asked my friend she is doing ceramic’s in NID paldi, she has given me some details about craft
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people in and around Gujarat and Ahmedabad, I also searched for craft in Google, I watched all these
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crafts people videos. The whole day went from searching in Google.
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Handicrafts of Gujarat
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Needlework
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Tie and dye - Bandhani
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Furnishings
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Pottery 6
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Textile culture
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Temple culture
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Mojari Making
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Khata Making
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Patang Making
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Gamthiwala
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Roghan Printing
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Applique
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Bird Cage Making
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Mala Making
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Bobby Painter
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Henna Painting
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Slotted Angle Racks
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Patola
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Zari Work
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Dyeing
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Cloth printing
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Wood carving
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Embroidery
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Inlay work
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Bead-work
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Jewellery
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Handmade Paper
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Silver Jewellery
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Chick Making
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Coppersmiths
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Bangle Making
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Basketry Making
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Moti Bharat
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Resham Mala 7
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Paper Flower Making
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Mata Ni Pachedi
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Finally, I have chosen, few craft works and decided to meet them, but I didn’t get the address of anyone
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even in the Google websites also. So I decided to go brick makers, actually my heart wants me to do
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ethno with brick makers, but I don’t know why I am trying to change to another.
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But finally I decided to go URSAVAD.
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Date: 22rd January
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Duration: 9:30am – 2.00pm
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Location: Brick making Bhatti, URSAVAD, Near Adalaj
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Actors: 50years old man, many Workers and me
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Nature: Participant Observation, one to many
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Early morning I went by auto to brick making industry, which is located in URSAVAD.
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By searching in Google maps I reached URSAVAD brick making industry. In entrance I saw one man
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who dress up in white and white khaddar dress wearing black shoes with white socks and slept on a
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jute bed looks like a politician. So I thought that he is the owner and he won’t accept me to do
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ethnography here. With some disappointment I approach him and told him that I’m a student and asked
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can I see the making process?
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White and white person: I don’t know the owner is inside you go and ask him, he replied.
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“Cha unnecessarily I feel tensed and explained him my entire requirement”.
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After I went into owner’s office, but nothing is there looks like an office, one old lady sets outside, I
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asked her she told me the owner is not there. I went in to the field and I met a 50 year old person and a
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few working people I introduced myself and asked few basic things like
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Me: How do you prepare these bricks?
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He started explaining but I was unable to understand what he is talking. But I understood what he
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wants to tell me. He explains all about using tools and process-mixing all the three
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materials(admixtures) like
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Mitti (clay)
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Raakhad (fly ash)
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Bhusi (saw dust)
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After that bricks are prepared by brick molds and the prepared bricks are taken to Bhatti for burning to
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till the next day. I am continuously talking with them for an hour and asked them about work timings.
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They said that from morning to till night they will work. But today, no one working so I asked them
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because of small drizzle in the night the ground is wet. The bricks kept on the ground won't dry so they
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didn’t prepare and moreover they don’t have water. So, there is no work for today.
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I have told them that I’ll come tomorrow they said no because tomorrow is Friday holiday for them so
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they asked me to come on Saturday.
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After this I went to another side of the field to see the burning process. I observed each and everything
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few people explained me few things what is going on….
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Step by step in 23 rows they are arranging bricks and puts fire in the bottom. From the top sand is
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being spilled on bricks and when the bricks catches fire, they slightly disturb the bricks so that some
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holes is been generated from that coal ash is been sent. When the coal ash is been started burning
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again the hole is closed by brick. Even if anyone stands on Bhatta they won’t get affected by this fire or
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smoke because the smoke is being sent out through the chimney. The arrangement of bricks is like
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that. It takes 24 hours to get a completely finished brick. For every 8 hours 2 people exchange their
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duties. This is called “Eit Ka Bhatta”. This is a wonderful design of brick making.
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Me: You are standing on Eit Bhatta and doing work. If the arrangement disturbed and anyone fell down
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what would happen?
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Bhatti Worker: It won’t happen the arrangement is perfect. But if the mud used in Eit or the ash used is
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not a good one the problem may arise and the chances of collapse may happen.
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Researcher’s frame
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“I was surprised that how intelligently they are applying strategy to burn each and every brick at
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a time. They will arrange 23 bricks on one above the other in a canal like pathway and spill sand
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on it and keep the fire from the bottom so that each and every brick will burn in fire from all
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sides.“
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In between owner has come and I met him asked for permission. He accepted my request, then I have
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taken a small interview from him.
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He started saying, this Bhatti business was started by my father, After my studies I have taken charge
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to look after it.. I respect every employee of this Bhatti, Workers do work hard here and all the workers
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are very good people.
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“Employees also said before this to me that owner is good and he gives money in time.
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I thought how much work worker will do that much money worker will get so owner can’t
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question the workers. The owner is giving the money in time, so workers have no problem with
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owner. So caller the relationship between them is good.
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At the same time I felt I have chosen right place to do my ethnography because last time I have
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written all about the canteen owner character. He always talks very rudely with employees. The
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canteen Owner asked me to give him a printed copy of what I have written and submitted. I
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know it’s not possible if he see that for sure he’ll kick me. Anyways, I managed that problem.
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Now I feel that here people have good relations between everybody. So I feel safe and happy.”
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No one has any objections. The owner has an only objection that the company logo should not be there
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in any video or photo. So I gave him assurance.
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I felt very happy about that very easily I found Place and people.
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All Workers stay at the field in a single room.
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I got permission, but due to small drizzle before night workers are not working today. Tomorrow is
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Friday holiday to them. So I will start my ethno from Saturday.
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Date: 23rd January
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Duration: 6:30am – 12.30pm
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Location: Brick making Bhatti, URSAVAD, Near Adalaj
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Actors: Dhilharan (40years old,), Taruna (Dhilharan wife) and me
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Nature: Participant Observation, one to many
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Early in the morning I met the first person in the field Dhilharan. Dhilharan explained me each and
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everything how to make bricks with mud, different types of materials used, mixing process and the final
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burning process. The very interesting technology they are using they are doing amazing work.
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Brick making is divided into two different categories like
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1) Molding mud as a brick allow it to dry and
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2) Finally dried brick into burning process.
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The technology behind the work is, early in the morning 4 o'clock they will dig the mud and then pour
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some water and set it aside for some time. After 1 or 2 hours they will mix coal ash (Raakhad) and
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Sawdust (Bose) after that they will make the bricks with molds and arrange bricks in a proper manner
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finally put fire to burn.
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Dhilharan has 3 children, elder son discontinued his studies and helping him in the workplace, but his
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father doesn’t like it, as the situation makes him to accept it he is in a state to insisting him to study.
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Elder daughter is studying and staying away from her family and lives along with their relatives in
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chattisgahd. Younger daughter plays in the field and sometimes work along with her family. Dhilharan
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father is a daily labor and belongs to Banjara community. So at the age of 12 years old, he went along
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with his father to work in the brick industry. 11
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They will do their work in a simple manner. I love the way they are using the shovel. How he handles
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the shovel tells us his smartness in work. In this he looks like a soldier in battle field. Then one proverb
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told by Anand to strike my mind “It shapes you as much as you shape it.”
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After talking with Dilharan randomly I talked with so many people some people are telling me that give
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me 200 rupees I’ll teach you and tell you everything about brick making. They shouldn’t mean that they
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I’m avoiding them. So I talked to each and every person almost everyone explains the same thing
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about the brick making process for 2-3 hours.
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Date: 24th January
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Duration: 9:30am – 4.30pm
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Location: Brick making Bhatti, URSAVAD, Near Adalaj
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Actors: Rajendra Nayak (30 years old,), Lela Aunty (50-55 years Old), Gori(14-16years Old) and
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me
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Nature: Participant Observation, one to many
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The third day in the field, I met person is “Rajendhra Nayak” he and his family are working in brick
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making industry. He stays at workplace along with his family (Husband, Wife, two children) in a small
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room which is built with dried bricks alone and is not a permanent one it is only for temporary purposes.
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Husband and wife work in brick industry itself. He has two children they are playing in work premises. I
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want to ask him.
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Me: Are your children studying?
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Rajendhran Naik: no bhayya how can they study? They are staying with us. If we were in chhattisgarh
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they would have gone to school.
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Me: If you are bringing your children every time what about their studies?
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Rajendhran Naik: See brother, we don’t have relatives in our village so we don’t leave them alone in
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the village. In my childhood, my grandparents are there to look after me and my parents go to their
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works. But my parents are not there to look after my children they are died. Whenever they will get the
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capability of doing their own works until then we will not leave them alone in a village once they have
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grown up and can do their own works we will leave them.
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Me: Are you strongly decided to allow them to study or let them do this work to survive?
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Rajendhran Naik: No, we don’t let them do this job. We don’t want them to work hard like us. Whatever
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work we are doing now is very hard we need to do it from morning to till night, then only we will get
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some money to eat. We don’t want our children to suffer like this. We will make them to study at our
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level best after that it’s depend on their fate. If they read they will get knowledge if they don’t they have
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to do this job only. I don’t have a chance to study so I have gone with my parents and learn this work
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and doing now. This is my fate.
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Me: Why didn’t you study? When you are in school age, you don’t have government schools?
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Rajendhran Naik: Yes, we have but up to 5th class only. Moreover, we have 5 acres agriculture land so
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I used to go farming and brick making works. Later on I was stuck with this job.
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Me: Then why don’t you proceed with your agricultural works? Why you have chosen this brick making?
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Rajendhran Naik: In agriculture, we will get food, but after harvesting again we need money to plant
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crops. Where can we get? If we go on eating food what ever we harvest, it will finish off some day so
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for 6 months we will work here and for another 6 months we will work on our agricultural land.
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Then I’m walking towards Dilharan house many kids came near to me. They all walk along with me and
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asked today also shooting is there? While walking towards the Dhilharan house in between another
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house is there.
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The two ladies in that field sat outside of their house. I Saw them they are doing work and I decided
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and going to talk with them. Some kids who, along with me went faster than me and said to them that
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he is coming to talk with you. So they prepared for that in advance.
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I observed there has a radio. While working they are listening to it. When I entered their house with her
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daughter (2nd lady) switched it off the radio.
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I Understood one thing in every family in the field has a radio
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Me: Maa ji, namasthy..!!
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Aunty & daughter: Namasthy (with laughing expression)
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Me: Mera nam sriman hai, aap jo kara rahe na vo mai shoot karsakthy kya?
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Aunty: Karlo bhaiyya lekin kyu?
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Me: Eit kyse banathy dhekne keliye aya hun,
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Aunty: Ha dheko..!!
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Me: You and your daughter are only working here? 14
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Aunty: No, I have a son, he also works here. But just a few minutes back dog bite him so he went to
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hospital.
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Me: aap ka Nam?
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Aunty: Lela..!
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Me: Apka beti ka naam?
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Aunty: Gori..!
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Aunty: here dogs are more. One dog is mad. It has bitten two people 1hour back it was happened to
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my son so he went to hospital. He will come. My husband went to my home town for two weeks, so now
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we 3 people r doing work here.
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Me: I initially wanted to interact with them so I asked a few basic questions like how bricks are made.
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While answering aunty, her daughter is giving prompting to her. At the same time Children around me
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are also giving answers and asking about the camera, and asking me to show what I have captured,
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how to operate such type of questions,
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The children disturbed me and interrupted me a lot.
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Me: the dog has bitten your son. For this treatment any money reimburse is there from you the
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owner??
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Aunty: no he won’t give. Owner ka galthi kya hai isme? Already one more kid has bitten by dog; they
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didn’t get any money from Owner.
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The owner has brought each and every person here so I thought he will look after everything. But I
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came to know they are thinking that the dog bite is a mistake of them self’s. If I told them that the entire
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hospital allowances has to be given by owner, it creates a bad impression on owner to them and if it is
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known to the owner I have to face problems. So keeping all these things in my mind, I kept quite.
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Children around me also warned me that dog will bite you if you roamed here and there, take care.
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I smiled and continued my discussion with aunty.
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Me: from how many years you people are working here? And what are your work timings?
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Aunty: we came here after Diwali and we will leave after Holi, this is happening from 25 years and
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above.
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Work timings are like morning to night every day.
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Me: after going to hometown what you people do?
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Aunty: Agriculture (Kethikisani)
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Me: So each and every year this brick making works are available for you? 15
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Aunty: Ha work will be available for sure, but there is no compulsory to come here. If we don’t want to
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come here, then somebody from our place will come to work. We will go some other Bhattis around our
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residing places.
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I want to ask Gori, some questions. The first question comes to my mind is about educational
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background and age
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Me: Gori Ji is you educated?
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Gori: nahi,
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Regarding age, I was feared to ask. Because, I think that they may take it as a wrong question. But I
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understood she might be 14-16 years old.
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Aunty: in our home no one is educated. We are very poor, so we all are in working from childhood
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Me: Are you married?
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She smiled with 1000 volts and I saw the glow in her eyes.
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Children: nooooooo, next year pakka hojayega…
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Me: aunty how many children you have?
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Aunty: I have 4 children, two girls and two boys.
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Elder daughter is married, her husband also works here they stay along with their family in another
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house. Elder son also married, he is also doing the same work with his family. Another son is also
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married and works as a tractor driver in our home town. Last is Gori she stays with us. Soon she will get
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married.
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Me: From where you people came from?
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Aunty: we all came from Chhattisgarh, we all stay in one place, we all are neighbors, our houses are
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there side by side.
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Me: why don’t you educate your children? 16
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Aunty: we are very poor we struggle for existence, so how can our children study? In our village who
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ever have the land he is the richest person. We don’t have much land we have only 3 acres of land, but
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if we have 30 acres then we will call as rich. No one is educated in our village. We don’t wish to study.
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We have only one wish we have to earn money and buy huge land, then only we are great.
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Me: what were your do?
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Aunty: they depend on agriculture and survive. If we want to see Gujarat then they come here along
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with us to work here. If not they continue their work in our village only. In olden days in our village we
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are not supposed to worry about food and work. But now-a-days it is very hard to get jobs and food to
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eat. In my childhood we have sufficient amount of rice to eat, we preserve the rice in the store. That
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would be sufficient for us until we get the next harvested crop because in the old days there are heavy
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rains and sufficient amount of water is available. But now-a-days there is scarcity of water everywhere
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even in our village also. So we shifted to this brick making work to live our lives. If we educate our
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children, we have to search for the educated groom or bride. It leads to more expenditure. But we don’t
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have much money.
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Me: Which type of groom you are searching for Gori? You do marriage with educated groom only?
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Aunty: why did educated people prefer us? No one did that. We depend on daily wages so the same
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type of people will marry our children.
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Me: why do you think like that? Just search for a nice groom with a government job. If she resides in
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the city you feel happy.
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Aunty: the city people won’t have moral values and ethics, we don’t trust them.
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“In their view they don’t worry about their survival because they have another way to survive
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i.e., Agriculture (kethibadi). They have about 2 to 30 acres fertile land. According to season
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crops have been planted and harvested. Mainly rice and Mirchi crops are harvested. I didn’t
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expect this type of expression from them regarding people who live in cities, but one likes their
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own life styles, there need not to be compulsion that everyone like everything”.
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I felt enough for the day.. It's too hot.
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Date: 25th January
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Duration: 6:30am – 2.30pm
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Location: Brick making Bhatti, URSAVAD, Near Adalaj
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Actors: Dhilharan (40years old,), Taruna (Dhilharan wife) and me 17
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Nature: Participant Observation, one too many I directly went to DhilHaran house
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Dhilharan: started his introduction by telling about their agriculture.
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Dhilharan: We don’t get enough money on agriculture and moreover our family is very big and joint
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family. From my grandfathers and great grandfathers’ time we are very poor. So called we are still
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working for our lives, if we stop working we can’t survive. If we stop working and started eating our own
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harvested rice we don’t get money to plant again in the lands and the rice we eat will get from our own
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land is finished in three months. So we plant crops and we come back to here and do our work for three
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months and will go back to home at the time of harvesting. This is our life cycle. From my grandfather,
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my father, I have been following this since 30 years. Like this so many families are working here.
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Me: Why don’t you stay and work in your home town? Why did you travel this much long to do the
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work?
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Dilharan: In our home town we have the only source of work is stones i.e., concrete stones.
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Everywhere you will find only rocks. Even our houses are made with stacked stones alone. We have
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cement factory and construction based works. But we didn’t have these bricks making industry because
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we have scarcity of water.
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Me: Then why don’t you work in cement factory or concrete factory?
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Dilharan: We don’t work in cement factory, because we don’t know the work. They bring some people
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from other villages who know the concrete and cement work also. We know only brick making and more
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over the main reason is in cement factory or concrete factory all the family members together can’t work
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over there. But in this brick making all of our family members can work together and share our works
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and can live together. So for us the brick making is best.
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Me: How did you learn this brick making? Why are you still doing this?
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Dilharan: We are very poor labors and in society we are at the bottom level. My grandfather did this job
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followed by my father and now still I’m also doing the same job. I know this work from my childhood. We
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didn’t have schools at that time to study. If we want to go we don’t have money to spend on education.
364
If we have gone, we have to study for 3 months and will have to go to another village to work. So, with
365
this I stopped my education.
18
366
Me: Do you enjoy doing this brick making job?
367
Dilharan: It’s not an easy task to enjoy. Rather than enjoying we need work hard. We have to start our
368
work by early in the morning 4 o’clock and finish it off by night 8 o’clock. For 1100 bricks we will get 530
369
rupees so per a day we will get nearly rupees to 1000. Actually, this is enough for us with this we are
370
very happy.
371
They don’t use any machinery to do their work. Even they know how many bricks have done by each
372
person and how many are sent to burn. Everything is mathematical and the calculations are amazing. If
373
any rains or drizzles come the work automatically interrupted and the whole work has to be stopped for
374
that day. If the rain is heavy Brick gets completely collapsed. So they do their work in a limited space.
375
But the problem is previous bricks have to be removed if the work is to be continued then only they will
376
get the space to do their next brick. “Mehnath ka ye sabse paisa kam hai”
377
“Here brick makers are divided into two groups A&B.
378
Group A is concentrating on making only and the B group is concentrating on arranging and
379
burning process.
380
Group A person are always working together without a one person also they can’t do making
381
bricks because all the A group members belong to one family. Husband and wife work together
382
in the first group. Men do particular things which are a little bit harder and women do somewhat
383
easiest things and the rest small works are done by children. Like that they stick to do their
384
works”.
385 386
I asked to Group B people
387
Me: what do you feel about your work?
19
388
Where ever we will get money we love that job. They are giving money so called every time we are
389
traveling 1200 kilometers to do the job here. If we don’t get money by doing any job we thought that the
390
job is not good enough. It’s all about our decision whether to do the job or not. No one will insist us.
391 392
Back to the field of group A
393
I saw many kids playing everywhere in the field. So I asked the same question which I asked all.
394
Me: What is your plan for your children about their education?
395
DhilHaran: As our children are too young we won’t let them stay at home alone once they have grown
396
up then we will leave them in our hometown itself. Now, whenever we are coming here to do work they
397
are missing their school and study is being disturbed. We are not happy with that, but what doing all
398
this is for survival. But we don’t allow our children to continue this work. At any cost we will let them
399
study to do a sarkari (government) job or a better job than this.
400
Me: You said that you don’t have money to study, but in government schools free education is there,
401
why don’t you join your children in that school?
402
DhilHaran: In our village we have high schools, but as for our income purpose, we are coming here
403
and our children are coming along with us. Even though they are with us here some government
404
teachers come daily and teach them lessons. Sometimes they give our children some books, pencils
405
for free and even they allow our children for midday meals. But later on our owner told them to not to
406
come. From next year onwards we won’t bring our children here.
407
Me: You told that you belong to Banjara. What does it mean? Is it a village name?
408
DhilHaran: Banjara means our community name and who stays in forests. Banjara people are there in
409
Gujarat and even in Delhi, Bombay is also there. We are the traveler’s means we travel from one place
410
to another place.
411
Me: So I think you people know many languages. How many languages do you know?
20
412
DhilHaran: We know Banjara, Chhattisgarh, and Hindi. We can understand Gujarati but we don’t know
413
how to speak.
414
Me: What do you do apart from this job?
415
DhilHaran: I’ll do work on a construction site as a daily wage labor in our village. But in our village I
416
alone have to do for my wife there is no job. I will get 300 rupees daily. But here in the brick making
417
industry, we both can work together and earn for about 1000 rupees daily. As we have been doing
418
since long back so we don’t want to go to another work.
419 420
Date: 27th January
421
Duration: 3:30pm – 8.30pm
422
Location: Brick making Bhatti, URSAVAD, Near Adalaj
423
Actors: Dhilharan (40years old,), Taruna (Dhilharan wife) and me
424
Nature: Participant Observation, one to many
425
Every day morning I’m going there, but they are working in the hot sun. They told me that working in
426
day time is too hard to compare with the evening. In the day time they have to use double the strength.
427
Because in day time the water will evaporate easily and the mud transforming into mold is too hard.
428
Hands get hurt very badly. In that case if I go and make them talk it causes disturbance to them. So
429
slowly I have changed my visiting timings to afternoon. Day by day it shifted to evening 4.00 PM so that
430
leisurely I can do my ethno till tonight 9.30 PM.
431
Every day when I went to Dilharan house his daughter prathiksha gives me an empty rice bag to sit and
432
she also sits beside me.
433
Me: had your lunch Dilharan Ji?
434
Dilharan: ha over.
435
Me: What are the dishes today?
436
Dilharan: aloo sabji (potato curry) aur chawal (rice)
437
Me: From where do you bring these vegetables and rice?
438
Dilharan: we will bring from the shop.
439
Me: where is it?
440
Dilharan: everything is available in adalaj.
441
Me: from here how long it is?
21
442
Dilharan: from here it is 2 kilometers long. Do you know in olden day’s kings and queens are used to
443
take bath in that river beside to that one temple is there. It is a tourist place foreigners used to come
444
and visit that place.
445
Throne: the temple is built with stones on every stone beautiful pictures is there. Idols are stone
446
carved. Each and every stone has an idol. The temple is of four stairs.
447
Tharuna: the details about construction and history are written in Gujarati. If it was in Hindi we will
448
understand, but it is written in Gujarati.
449
Dilharan: in entrance garden is there beside to that temple. Beside to the temple grocery shop is there.
450
Every day the shop is open everyone come and buy things. We don’t know when the shop closes.
451
Me: when will you take your dinner?
452
Dilharan: night 10pm-10.30pm, again we will wake up at 4.00 AM.
453
Me: then when you will be free? From morning to night you will work. When do you get free time to go
454
for shopping?
455
Dilharan: every Friday we will go and buy because Friday is a holiday for us. On that day we don’t
456
touch mud. We will get ready by morning 9’o clock and collect money from the owner. In the afternoon
457
2.30 we will go to Adalaj will do the shopping and buy the things sufficient for 1 week. We will hire one
458
auto and come back to home.
459
Tharuna: once you come on Friday we will take you to adalaj and show you everything.
460
Me: sure sure defiantly I’ll come.
461
Tharuna: you come by 1.30 we will start by 2’o clock they will show you and you can take photos also.
462
Dilharan: you come from Gandhinagar right. So from chokidi (4 way junction) take left turn you can go
463
to adalaj. Form here, there is another way to Gandhinagar.
464
Me: yes first time when I’m searching in the map it is showing another way I got confused.
465
Me: how much is the expenditure for your groceries?
466
Dilharan: 1400-1500, the owner will give the money, according to the number of peoples' lives in each
467
house. He will cut the money in final settlement.
468
Tharuna: here the rice cost is much, but in our town we get the fined rice for 25 rupees per kg.
469
Me: in your village crops are more so automatically the cost will be less. Which types of rice you
470
harvest?
471
Tharuna: To eat (chemki) may be cheniere rice. Sona masuri, bikiri karne keliye mota dhan hotha hai,
472
chuda bantha hai. 22
473
Dilharan: Vo sab mandi me dhedhetha hai bikiri hojatha hai.
474
Me: Mota wala chaval ko paise kam miltha hai na?
475
Dilharan: Ise nahi season me miltha hai quintal ko 1300-1400.
476
Me: But isn’t it too low when it compared to other type of rice?
477
Dilharan: Kami hai lekin jithana money ko vuthna vuthana rice milega.
478
Tharuna: 3-4 kgs rice is used to plant in a place consists of 100 pits. And remaining rice is stored to eat
479
and some more will use for selling purpose.
480
Me: Do you have an exchange system in your village? Like to buy vegetable exchange it with rice.
481
Dilharan: No those systems are extinct. For everything we need to have money. If we have money we
482
can buy anything. Money rules the world.
483
Throne: In our village those who have borewell they are only harvesting crops. We have everywhere
484
stones in our village. So the cement factories are more.
485
Me: Then why don’t you try a job in your village?
486
Dilharan: Bhaiyya, if we want to work in cement factory we need to be educated to some extent.
487
Tharuna: Huge number of Bihar people work over there. Recently another plant also started in that
488
also Bihar people only works. Besides to that 3 plants started. Coohela gets transports from our town to
489
Kanpur, Allahabad and Lucknow in train.
490
Me: Coohela..!! What does it mean?
491
Tharuna: Here we use it in brick burning. To run every factory Coohela is used.
492
Me: oh its in black color is that you are saying? Is it Coal?
493
Tharuna: ha vohi bhaiyya.
494
Dilharan: in our village ekdhum shandhar rehatha hai coal. Idharka coal vuthna khass nahi hai.
495
Me: Coal mines are under government sector knows. May be is it a singareni coal mine? Do you know
496
singareni?
497
Dilharan: I don’t know that, but in our village whole day and night coal transportation is happening
498
through train. I told know there is one factor, it is a power plant. 1st major one is in NTPC and the 2nd is
499
in our village. We have 24 hrs power supplies in our houses. Near Raipur there is a big industry like
500
(bhilayee ka lohey). Totally 6-7 factories are there. We have tata factory also and where ever you see 5
501
foot stones are available in our village. Water is available at 400-500 feet depth. If we want to get bored
502
well, we need to drill up to that foot at that point there is also no guarantee of water. If we found water
503
and get borewell then we are lucky if not total will lost. 23
504
Me: So water problem is there in your village.
505
Dilharan: Ha, as it is a mountain area so water scarcity is there. Here at 250-350 depth we can get
506
water. But in our uttharpradesh it’s about the range of 400-450 mts depth. Here the expenditure for the
507
bore is 1, 50,000 but in our village it cost about 50,000.
508
Me: then how you are living with a lot of scarcity of water?
509
Tharuna: so called we are coming here for 3-6 months work. Not like that we will get water to drink and
510
for our daily activities, but for agriculture we don’t have sufficient water.
511
Me: do you have municipal water pipes for every house?
512
Dilharan: yes, we have. We have hand pumps and water tanks.
513
Me: you told that brick factory also there in your village, then for brick making water should be in large
514
amount. Then how can they manage?
515
Dilharan: all those factories are at river bank so with the help of motor they use the river water
516
previously 2 times we worked there.
517
Me: so in your village, river is there?
518
Dilharan: yes 5kms away from our village at river bank, we get this type of mud. With that bricks are
519
made.
520 521
Date: 28th January
522
Duration: 4:30pm – 9.00pm
523
Location: Brick making Bhatti, URSAVAD, Near Adalaj
524
Actors: Dhilharan (40years old,), Taruna (Dhilharan wife) and me
525
Nature: Participant Observation, one to many
526
Children always sing this song to make fun with small kids.
527 24
528
“Junnara jhull
529
khadam ke phull
530
mami jahave
531
jhammala phull”
532
Every day I want to make bricks, but I didn’t because I have tried it for two times, but I didn’t get it mud
533
get wasted. I don’t want to waste their effort and time, so I have done only mixing of mud. Mud is
534
placed somewhat far from the place because most of the place is used to dry the bricks. The soil is very
535
difficult to ride. First, we need to break them into small pieces and then we should add enough amount
536
of water to that then rock salt, coal ash, finally saw dust is added. Then the mixture is set aside. Up to
537
this stage I have done for 3 days, but today I want to try more and did.
538
While doing everything looks easier but after this mixing process the mud is to be taken to the
539
workplace in one wheel trolley. Top to bottom it is plainly so if the balances out it fell down to right or left
540
side. The mixture mud is to be dropping down nearly 10 to 15 steps ahead of the place.
541 542
After experiencing the handling of trolley I came to know how difficult it is. Again, I moved to making of
543
bricks, but I can’t able to prepare the bricks I don’t know the fault whether it is shortage of mud or
544
removing of mold but the bricks are not in an exact shape. Meanwhile Shiva’s friend came over there I
545
asked his name he replied me Vicky Burman. He is 20 years old and very shy guy.
546
Me: who kept you this name?
547
Vicky Burman: my dad.
548
Me: is your father S.D Burman fan? Do you know who S.D BURMAN is?
549
Vicky Burman: Ha, I know he is a famous singer. But my name is Vicky and my surname is Burman.
550
He smiled and told me we don’t have any relationship with S.D. BURMAN
551
Me: tell me where do you live? What are you doing? When did you come here? Where is your
552
hometown? 25
553
Vicky Burman: Chattisgahd state, Bhilaspur district, Raipur is the capital,
554
Dilharan and his wife: near to our town thasil hai masthuri hamara kshethr hai, bhilaspur se thasil jana
555
hai tho auto me byto leke jayega,
556
To one side of river bhilaspur is there and another side Raipur district.
557
I didn’t understand what to talk and what to ask him. I just want to ask them about their view towards
558
the world. But I don’t know how to ask?
559
So randomly I changed the topic asked some question to them?
560
Me: for how many rupees your owner will sell one brick?
561
Dilharan: I don’t have any idea. But in a tractor 2000 bricks can load for one load of tractor costs
562
15000-18000. I’m not sure, but in our village each brick costs 4 rupees.
563
Me: ok for how much cost they are selling now? What do you think of it?
564
Dilharan: this is not a perfect mud to prepare bricks, red soil is used to prepare bricks. When it comes
565
to cost it depends on contractor and the quantity.
566
Me: how can you tell that it cost that much?
567
Dilharan: place and the living people matters. In our village no one buy for this cost. But in Gujarat cost
568
of living is high, so here people can afford that much money. In the past our owner sells it for 12 rupees
569
each brick.
570
If we ask owner, he will tell, but we didn’t ask him. Yesterday he talked to me for an hour about mud.
571
He told me that total stock was sold out nearly 250 lakh bricks are sold out.
572
Dilharan: it’s Worth to sell for that much cost because of mud for coal and for sawdust and finally for
573
sand, keeping in view of all the above cost and moreover for labor cost also so he fixed the cost of each
574
brick 8 rupees. For 1lack bricks he will get 8lacks rupees.
575
Me: you know brick making so do you have any thought of starting own brick making factory?
576
Dilharan: we can’t do it our own because of everything we need money, but we don’t have that much
577
money. If we have money, why we will work here?
578
We can earn much money in this business. For 1 week the expenditure will be approximately 1 lakh.
579
For each family he will give 2000 some families have 5-6 people here total of 15-18 families are there.
580
Every Friday he will give money to all families for their groceries. Apart from all these he has to buy the
581
material required for brick making.
582
Me: how much money you want he will give it? Or else fixed amount he will give?
26
583
Dilharan: if I want more money he will give. Up to now I have taken 20’000 rupees from him. After
584
finishing contract he will cut the money I have taken and give me the remaining money.
585
Me: if you work for 3-4 months you can earn 1 lakh.
586
Dilharan: if we do 1lack bricks, then we will get 55000.
587
Me: how much do you earn till now?
588
Dilharan: this time I have come late, so up to now I have done 50-60’000 bricks. After 1 months holi
589
festival will come then after that nearly one month I will stay here. Up to now how much money I have
590
taken he will cut that amount and give me the remaining money. We will deposit the whole money in the
591
bank and will go back to our village.
592
Me: you are doing brick making from your childhood, right? Is your wife also same?
593
Dilharan& Tharuna: no before marriage, I didn’t know it. I have done only agriculture and home works.
594
After getting married I started doing this brick making.
595
Me: do you know your wife before marriage? I mean is she is your relative or unknown one?
596
Dilharan: she is from outside. They live 35 kms away from our village we don’t know each other before
597
marriage.
598
Tharuna: hamara biradari (FRATERNITY) Banjara hay. Ghagra choli which is wear by Gujarathi people
599
is belongs to our traditional dress.
600
Dilharan: those customs and traditions are gone now-a-days no one is maintaining and following those
601
systems. In our biradari we will speak one specific language which is called banjara. So who ever
602
speaks that language we recognize him as our caste people. Now-a-days no one is speaking that
603
language and no one is wearing that traditional dresses. With that we are unable to recognize our
604
community people. It’s good if they maintain, but no one is following.
605
It’s about 9.30 PM so I told them I will leave for today. Tharuna asked me to take dinner and go. But I
606
didn’t have supper there and told them we will have next time. I know they are prepared for their family
607
as it is dinner time for casual they asked. But they offered me so I came to know that they are treating
608
me as their dear ones.
609
29th January
610
Jiginesh told me along with ethnography I have to do my pending DP. So for review I have mailed to
611
Jiginesh. When I’m going to ethno I got mail from Jiginesh asking me to send the project
612
documentation. So the whole day I spend on preparing documentation. I have been searching solutions
613
and collecting research data for the pending DP. Jiginesh given appointment regarding review so I 27
614
spend time for setup the Design Project.Whole day is not sufficient to me.. So I didn’t go to ethno for 2
615
days
616 617
Date: 31st January
618
Duration: 5:30am – 9.30pm
619
Location: Brick making Bhatti, URSAVAD, Near Adalaj
620
Actors: Dhilharan (40years old,), Taruna (Dhilharan wife) and me
621
Nature: Participant Observation, one to many
622
Early morning 3.30 AM I woke up and got fresh up went to brick making industry by 4.30 but I faced
623
which I didn’t expect. The gate is closed in these days I didn’t saw that big gate. So what to do? I kept
624
my bike over there and went to Dilharan house which is the half kilometer distance from the entrance.
625
Already Dilharan has waked up and started his work. The bricks which are kept for drying yesterday he
626
is keeping them in order to send buring. After that, black soil, which is there as lumps he is making
627
them into small pieces and preparing the mud to make bricks.
628
Me: Is the work will be same daily?
629
Dilharan: yes, this is a 24 hour cycle process the bricks which are kept yesterday for drying are to be
630
collected and preparing mud to make new bricks, after that preparing of bricks up to the completion of
631
prepared mud. Then again the bricks are to be kept for drying. So, daily this is a cycle process. My
632
children also will help us. But I don’t want them to do this work. Next time when we come we won’t bring
633
our children here their studies are being disturbed. I feel bad about my child studies. My daughter stays
634
alone at home as our relatives are there to look after but we are not there. She likes to study. Now she
635
is studying 10th standard.
636
Me: Then when do you go to your home?
637
Dilharan: After holi 1 month the work will be there. After that we will go.
638
Me: Again, when will be the work starts here?
639
Dilharan: At Dusshera or Diwali time.
640
Me: Till to dusshera do you get any other work in your home town?
641
Dilharan: Yes, the coming season is rainy season so we will do our agricultural works in our home
642
town. Even If any one has pending work in agriculture, they will come back for 1 month late.
643
Me: After you have gone from here is somebody else work here?
28
644
Dilharan: No, the factory will be closed it works only 6 months. No one will work after us. Whatever the
645
bricks are prepared now after the burning process gets finished, they are packed and stored. Our care
646
taker will debit the money in our account. If we ask him to reserve the train tickets he will do it.
647
As I have gone in the early morning I didn’t take my breakfast. They asked me to eat, but I had only tea.
648
As they don’t have bathrooms so compulsorily I have to come to campus. Started over there and
649
reached hostel by 10.30 AM . As I have woke up early in the morning I felt drowsy and slept. Again, I
650
went to filed in the evening children, Shiva and protection are preparing food and I’m shooting the
651
video.
652 653
Shiva (Dilharan son): bhaiyya please don’t take video.
654
Me: y? What’s the problem?
655
Shiva: nahi bhaiyya sab log dhekthey na video pe..
656
Me: nahi this video is taken for my purpose only. How you prepare curry I’ll see and learn the process.
657
Tharuna: aap sikneka jarurath kya hei bhaiyya? (What necessary, you have to learn) your family
658
members will serve you know.
659
Me: yes of course, but we need to learn it at least to some extent. But I know cooking very well when
660
I’m doing my graduation I had my own preparations for 5 years. Your kids are awesome they are
661
preparing food for you. Some of my classmates they don’t even know how to cook rice at least. Do you
662
believe that?
663
“I don’t know why I told like that. But one day I was shocked. One day our classmates decided
664
to have a party at our classmate Ashwin’s home one day his parents has gone to the outstation.
665
So we all went over there. We decided to prepare the food and distributed our work like what
666
ever dish known to a person that has to be cooked by every one. But unfortunately no one
667
knows how to cook and some of them don’t even know how to cook rice. Finally, I and Raja
29
668
prepared some dishes girls are trying to help in that situation they are asking me how to cook
669
rice. So I understood the situation of city girls. Anyway, thank god I am better in this subject.”
670
Dilharan: studying alone is not to be there everyone has to know at least some kind of works related to
671
the home. If they don’t know cooking how they will prepare food for their children. My children also if
672
they stay at home, they don’t do any work just eating and roaming. My elder daughter (Kiran) will do the
673
whole work. While coming to hear we taught Shiva how to cook and how to cut the vegetables. We
674
have worked round the clock so we don’t get time to prepare food so we told to Shiva if you come you
675
can prepare food for us.
676
Me: Oh your elder daughter will do the work along with studying. She is great
677
I didn’t understand the topic but wife and husband are talking about months
678
So I asked him to repeat the names what he has spoken now.
679
Dilharan said:
680
Hindi - banjara
681
Magha - mang
682
Phalguna - phagun
683
Chaitra - chaithr
684
Vaishaka – bysak
685
Jyaistha - jeat
686
Asadha – asaad
687
Srawana - savan
688
Bhadrapada - bhadho
689
Asvina - kuwaar
690
Kartikka – karthik
691
Magasirsa - aggan
692
Pousha - poush
693
Me: Even I don’t know all these things. Ok for what are you talking about these months?
694
Dilharan: at our place we talk only in this language we don’t know January, February all these things,
695
all these are will be in Hindi in our calendar, but we don’t read in this manner we follow only our
696
chattisgahd language.
697
Me: ok so what’s matter?
30
698
Today is the last day of mang from tomorrow onwards phagun, in phagun month we have ceremony
699
kind of things for our ancestors, in kuwaar month Durga Puja will be there, in bhadho month Ganapathi
700
festival, again in bhadho Krishan Bhagavan Janam dhin, and in this phagun we have Maha shiva Ratri,
701
in aggan Maha Lakshmi Puja also will be held. This March, April was created by people, but the whole
702
system already was created and written by God before itself, in the beginning stage of humans we don’t
703
have all these names called January, February, after Urbanism all these names are came to know,
704
British people came to India then these things happened, British people has created January February
705
along with printed calendars. Ours only Panchang is the main director for every occurring event, like full
706
moon day, festivals, etc. But, now-a-days everybody is looking into the calendar and blindly following it.
707
Me: But in the calendar they arrange everything according to Panchang rite?
708
Tharuna: No bhaiyya, the calendar is not with that many details as well Panchang. Panchang is
709
different. If a baby born then we will follow some specific properties, actions and conditions that will be
710
there in the Panchang, like we are not supposed to see the baby’s face in certain bad timing’s.
711
Me: But these all data known to only Pandit, people and they’ll tell to us right?
712
Tharuna: no bhaiyya everybody knows all these rules by own. No necessary to go for Pandit always.
713
Each and every family has to there Panchang at home the elder people look the Panchang and decide
714
what to do and what not to do when to do all these things.
715
Dilharan: But now-a-days nobody is following the Panchang so its almost vanishing now, Panchang is
716
a big book not like 12 papers calendar. Brahmins will have this in that each and every thing is written
717
Disha, Rashi, nakshtram. This day what to do and to what direction we have to go everything is written.
718
Not only Pandit, people we can also see and follow. In our houses elder will use to look after all these.
719
Dilharan using one drug like material called “gudaku”. I didn’t ever see it before, but while he is using it I
720
saw the label on the box it says “Tobacco kills”. So I understood. That pasty type cream he is applying
721
it with a finger to teeth and closing the mouth for some time. After that he will wash off his mouth.
722
Dilharan: “chattisgahd log isko bahuth isthamal karogi”
723
Me: Anybody can use it??
724
Dilharan: No, if you use it, then you will fall down. “Nasha ayega”. This is not to eat this will come with
725
mixing of thambaku. I’ll stay for more 2 months so I bought 3 more boxes to have in my village.
726
Me: ok, I leave now
727
Taruna: take care, go safely
728
Me: sure thank you.. 31
729 730
Date: 1st February
731
Duration: 6:30am – 2.30pm
732
Location: Brick making Bhatti, URSAVAD, Near Adalaj
733
Actors: Dhilharan (40years old,), Taruna (Dhilharan wife) and me
734
Nature: Participant Observation, one to many
735
Me: namasthy ji.
736
Dilharan: namasthy..
737
Me: can I ask you one question?
738
Dilharan: ha pucho..
739
Me: you haven’t thought of own business?
740
Dilharan: to do business, we need to have so much knowledge and money. But we are very poor we
741
don’t have money. To live only be a problem for us, how can we have own business.
742
Dilharan: Shiva is not doing anything here just spending his time to roam around the Bhatti.
743
Me: Ok, you don’t think about yourself. But have you think about Shiva?
744
Dilharan: Ha so called we are educating him. At least if he studies up to 10th grade, he can get some
745
job in government.
746
Tharuna: he doesn’t want to continue his studies in Chhattisgarh. He wants to study in Bhilaspur but
747
we don’t have that much money. We will think of this year regarding this.
748
Me: there is no guarantee that if you study you will get knowledge. In every work knowledge will be
749
there, but we don’t recognize it. You start encouraging your son and teach him at work and see how he
750
is confident doing the work and tune him in that field.
751
Even whatever work you are doing now involves many knowledge factors. Brain is a part of the head
752
itself, it doesn’t mean that if any one is not studying it doesn’t mean that he don’t have brains. Without
753
looking to your tools and materials you can do the work, how it is possible?? The hands known & takes
754
how much mud is enough for a single brick, right? So in this case are your hands having also brain to
755
think?
756
So, observation, experience and embodiment with your work make you an expert and it will give
757
meaning to your life.
758
So shiva also does the work where he has an interest. Don’t worry about that share your experience
759
with him, he will defiantly understand. 32
760
I am sorry if I talk something wrong or you are unable to understand it.
761
Tharuna: No it’s not like that we understand what you have told. You said correct, he will defiantly learn
762
to do things.
763
Dilharan: very beginning of my married life I worked in railway. When train coming it was in the 1
764
kilometer (lohey ki Patri gisjathatha) distance we used to change the rails and change the direction of
765
the train. I know many people in railway and have friends. Who ever worked along with me they
766
continued their work in railway their jobs are got permanent. As I need more money I shifted to this
767
work. After crossing our bhilaspur 3 line tracks are there on one track is for goods trains another is for
768
local train and one more is for express trains. Frequently many trains will pass over there. When the
769
three tracks are in usage I worked over there. As our village is nearer to that station I joined there. The
770
important works in that are joining the tracks and maintaining the level with stones and sand. The
771
joining is called diamond portion. I used to do work like welding. Whenever the train starts in the station
772
the guard will give the green signal, then the lines will automatically lock. When the red signal appears,
773
then the track lines will open. This type of railway knowledge I have even my boss will also appreciate
774
me. After that I moved to construction work there also everyone will appreciate me. I’m the lone person
775
who does the work very well. I have done plaster of Paris work in new building construction.
776
Me: then have you ever shared your experience with Shiva in different works?
777
Dilharan: he is very young now so I didn’t tell him.
778
Me: yes he is young, but if you tell know about the work he can able to decide what work to do in future.
779
Dilharan: if Shiva completed his studies, then automatically he can decide whether to do any work or to
780
continue his studies. After his studies I’ll make it clear. So called I will never force him to do some work.
781
Me: ok
782
Dilharan: day by day railway tracks are being increased, as the number of people increasing the
783
number of trains is increasing and in turn the tracks are also increasing so the railway related jobs also
784
increasing. Many people from my village are working in railway. No one is educated but happily they got
785
jobs at that time and continuing the job till today. They wear chains and rings everyday they will eat and
786
drink. Every month they will get a salary, they are very lucky But now-a-days if we are educated then
787
only we will get jobs. The minimum qualification is 10th standard.
788
Me: do you have any reservations? It won’t apply to you people?
789
Dilharan: reservation mathlab..!! kis cheszz ka? Is it railway ticket?
33
790
Me: No..!! If you comes under reservation category your children get’s admition in the school, no need
791
to pay fee for them, government can provide everything for them, which is for only lower cast,
792
scheduled caste people.
793
Dilharan: In railway?
794
Me: Noooo…!!!! Not in railways.
795
Tharuna: matlab kis cheeszz ka?? Ham ko samaj me nahi ara.
796
Me: Ok, I’ll explain you. In Andhra Pradesh we have reservation category like sc, st, Muslim minority.
797
We have a reservation, this benefit is not for upper caste people like Brahmins, you understand?? In
798
general, government will give you fee reimbursement and subsidy loans for lower caste people; upper
799
caste people don’t get any subsidy and reimbursement.
800
Dilharan: Yes, I understood. See in our place we don’t get any kind of benefits, we don’t get jobs as
801
very soon. Over people are struggling a lot. We belong to Hindu, Banjara caste, a government think
802
that we are rich, that’s the reason they won't give job’s for our caste.
803
Me: I thought that Banjara is a tribe, so Banjara comes under reservation category.
804
D: we are Hindu’s
805
Me: I know you people belong to Hindu’s, but I thought tribes, anyway, what is your background,
806
occupation, what is the story tell me from the beginning, what your ancestors has done?
807
Dilharan: our Banjara people are travelers on the highways, we do (mall ka dhandha) business. While
808
traveling our people will select a tree on the way and under that tree we do pits hide all our earned
809
money in that pit. Now this is not happening all these are in olden days.
810
Me: Then what happen? Why they do like that?
811
Dilharan: They have silver and gold (sona, chandi) a lot, because on that period money means coins,
812
silver or gold, no paper notes, then what they do is, if the jewelry, silver and gold coins are with us they
813
think that someone will robe it so they do like this. So some Banjara people earned money and went to
814
somewhere and well settled. But our great grandparents didn’t go to any place they stayed here only
815
and bought one land to do agriculture. As the family is increasing and the money gets decreased. Now
816
I don’t have anything and became poor.
817
Me: but how they earn money? Which type of business they did?
818
Tharuna: ladies wear, ghagra chili and made bead chains. In banjaran movie is there, have seen it?
819
Me: No, I will not see Hindi movies much.
34
820
Tharuna: in Rushi kapoor film sridevi wear banjara dresses. All those dresses are our traditional
821
dresses. She exactly looks like Banjara girl.
822
(She talked a lot about the movie and what changes have taken place in her village after that movie)
823
“ Some special dress has been worn on marriage occasions she had mentioned, but I don’t understand
824
exactly how the dress was made and designed”.
825
Me: So which dress you wore in your marriage? Do you have photos?
826
Dilharan: In our marriages for both bride and groom faces gunghat will be there. But in these days, it’s
827
not happening everything is open. No one is following culture and systems.
828
Me: in olden days the groom and bride might be feel shy so called they are covering like this. But these
829
days everyone is educated so no one will feel shy so this system is changed.
830
Tharuna: dhek bhaiyya in our community up to the first pregnancy, we will not be seen by any one
831
guest’s and out siders. Even to our husbands also we will not show our faces. Means round the clock
832
we will have ghunghat to our faces. We follow the systems. But now a day, 2 days before the marriage
833
everyone is seeing the bride and groom.
834
Me: So do you like the old systems or these days’ systems?
835
Tharuna: I like the old systems only.
836
Dilharan: in olden days, in-laws house 80-90 years old people used to scold brides for small mistakes.
837
But in these days no one is scolding and if any one scolds no one is tolerating it.
838
Tharuna: in those days respect and culture is different and everyone have that. If elders are there the
839
young people will not even sit before they even in front of husband also. That much respect had in
840
those days. But now-a-days no one is respecting everyone is equally studying and both are equal. Till
841
today we don’t speak in front of elders, but now girls are talking before marriage and if she likes then
842
only everything is fixing. We haven’t even seen our faces before marriage, we saw our faces only in our
843
marriage but now girls are quarreling with their fathers to marry of their own choice. If she likes the
844
groom then only everything will proceed if not everything is cancelled. Everyone is doing inter caste
845
marriages. In our community inter caste marriages will never happen.
846
Me: Means till now in your village love marriages are not happening?
847
Dilharan: very less number happens. If anyone loves anyone they elope and get married. Those
848
people are kept away from our village. If grooms family or bride’s family will help them or if they talk the
849
whole family will be kept away from village and no one will talk to them. So no one will consider them in
850
two of the castes. 35
851
Tharuna: We strictly follow our cultural rules and regulations even after marriage if my husband wants
852
to depart from me he has to tell the proper reason in front of Panchayat people and has to pay me the
853
compensation and has to pay back the dowry what he has taken during the marriage. The same rules
854
apply to the wife if she wants to leave the husband.
855
Me: So who ever want to leave, they have to pay the penalty and compensation…
856
Tharuna: Yes, who ever want to leave, they have to sign on the printed copy and pay the penalty.
857
During the marriage the offerings from neighbors and relatives also has to pay.
858
Me: ohh gifts and money from relatives and offerings everything has to be returned?
859
Tharuna: Ha bhaiyya neighbors and other people who ever gave the things they are to be returned to
860
them like plates, buckets, watches, grinders, etc. our customs and culture is very perfect we will not
861
leave them we don’t forget them.
862
Dilharan: Now-a-days so many boys and girls are running away from home to get married, but from in
863
our biradhari nobody do’s that. Our child also follows our rules and regulations.
864
At the same time Prathiksha came along with the phone and told that Kiran is calling. So her mother
865
went out to talk with her daughter. After completion of talking in phone prathiksha shown me the Kiran
866
photo in mobile, I understood her intention, so I gave her a compliment (achha hai) and told them that I
867
will leave.
868
Tharuna: Have the dinner.
869
Me: some other time I will do.
870
She told me to go safely. Prathiksha asked me tomorrow also will you come. Day by day everyone
871
started liking me.
872 873
Date: 2nd February
874
Duration: 4:30pm – 9.30pm
875
Location: Brick making Bhatti, URSAVAD, Near Adalaj
876
Actors: Dhilharan (40years old,), Taruna (Dhilharan wife) and me
877
Nature: Participant Observation, one to many
878
Shiva watching some Gujarati movie in mobile his father Dilharan is scolding.
879
Me: what happened? Why are u scolding Shiva?
36
880
Dilharan: Actually, no charging in the phone, but he is watching a movie, if the phone switch off, then
881
again we have to go office room for charging it takes 2 hours to get charged. That too, he is watching
882
Gujarathi he doesn’t even understand the language.
883
Tharuna: we don’t know Gujarati.
884
Dilharan: Maharastra language looks almost same, if we talk to Rajasthani people they can understand
885
our language and we too to some extent.
886
Me: then how you got these Gujarati movies into your phone?
887
Shiva: here near to our home one shop is there if we give him 10 rupees he will upload 2 movies into
888
our phone.
889
Dilharan: Like this daily he will upload 2 movies and watching full day. He doesn’t do any work he is
890
wasting his life and time.
891
Me: Don’t think in that way may be or may not be we don’t know he might have interest in movies. He
892
can become a film director or a singer with that interest. Think positive.
893
Dilharan: in bhilaspur one of my relative doing job and purchased a computer. I told Shiva to go and
894
learn computer operating from him along with Shiva 2 more people went over there to learn computer
895
operating. But after 2 months he shifted another place so he went off from there. So from him Shiva
896
learned some computer operating. In these days, even school going children also operating the
897
computer. So I sent him to learn computer, but he doesn’t have interest in that he loves to roam. He is
898
staying along with us so called he is cooking here. If he is in our village he used to be roaming on the
899
roads for 24 hours. Falthu dhimak chalthi hey vuska. At least now he can know how hard is to live
900
without earning and job, but again here also he is roaming from morning to evening. If we tell him to lift
901
the bricks he will start crying. If we leave them with he will roam around Bhatti. Useless fellow.
902
Tharuna: Bhaiyya if he plays in normal time that ok, but in exams time also he will roam like this if we
903
scold him means he will blackmail us by telling I will take T.C. See how rude he is.
904
Shiva is near and listening to us.
905
Me: Shiva can I tell you something.. Whatever you want to do just do, but at the same time do one
906
more thing also, get some knowledge from that activity while you are doing
907
Like an example: you are roaming here and there in the Bhatti surroundings rite? On that activity why
908
don’t you observe how many bricks will fit in Bhatti for burning in one day (or) how many bricks are
909
made in one day, how the illiterate people are counting thousands of bricks without any computer
910
calculator or any other smart technology, just observe what is your father making here. 37
911
Dilharan: the same thing I have been telling to Shiva to try to use the brain. If you won’t sharpen your
912
brain you will forget whatever you have studied. My elder daughter doesn’t want all these we are there
913
or not she cooks for herself and eat.
914
Shiva and prathiksha are very fond of food. Every Sunday compulsorily chicken has to be cooked. If not
915
full day they will sadly.
916
Shiva will stand first in eating :
917
But my elder daughter is not like this she will eat everything, she goes to school and come back, she
918
will cook food and eat, she will do all the works. She is more intelligent than Shiva and prathiksha. From
919
childhood, she didn’t come along with us for work she stays in our village and study. Only one time she
920
came to Gujarat to see and she brought her books along with us to study. But the situations made her
921
stay along with us for 6 months. She was very unhappy because whatever she studied she forgot
922
everything and the time was wasted. From then onwards she didn’t come along with us anywhere. She
923
loves studying.
924
Dilharan: you sat here, it’s so cold and moreover, you are not feeling well, so and sit in our home Shiva
925
will arrange bonfire.
926
Me: No problem you are working here how can I sit somewhere else? I have to be with you in the field
927
and have to work along with you. Today also I want to make bricks along with you but my health is not
928
supporting.
929
Dilharan: your health is not good how can you do? Don’t take risks.
930
Me: just stomach upset it doesn’t mean that total health is not good. Of course stomach upset is like
931
hell.
932
Dilharan: I think something you ate which is not to be taken.
933
Me: yup, might be I have taken which I shouldn’t
934
Tharuna: frequently climate is changing so these changes can affect the food we are taking. You have
935
to take the food when it is in hot condition.
936
Me: ok
937
Tharuna: in morning time we can’t prepare many bricks, but in the evening we can make so many
938
bricks because of the morning due to sun the mud will become dry to remove mud from mold is very
939
difficult. Almost at that time we can prepare 100 bricks, but we are able to do only 50 bricks. If we pour
940
much water also it will dry if the mud becomes dry that will become a big brick.
941
Me: so then do we can’t turn that brick in to mud and reuse it? 38
942
Dilharan: when with lot of hard work we create mud with the effect of sun my shoulders will pain like
943
hell. If I want to take rest the mud will transforms into big brick. Then if we want to reuse it then it takes
944
lot of hard work and waste of time. The process should starts from the beginning. This is not good as
945
red soil because the mould will not be perfectly come.
946
Tharuna: Basically red soil is good for brick making. Most of the people use the red soil only.
947
Me: Then why are you using this soil if it is not good? Don’t you tell to your owner?
948
Dilharan: Not good means in terms of making it is not easy as with red soil. We can use this black soil
949
but the making is little bit hard when compared to red soil.
950
Me: What is the difference between these two soils? Why the red soil is good?
951
Dilharan: red soil is weight less and the brick making is easy and it is very strong than black soil.
952
Me: Then what ever you are using in black soil like Raakhad(fly ash), boosa(saw dust), and salt the
953
same things you use in red soil also?
954
Tharuna: No bhaiyya we need not to mix all these things in red soil by default the red soil will have that
955
strong nature. But in brown soil we mix all these things for strong ness.
956
Dilharan: In Uttharpradesh there are places like Lucknow Allahabad, Banaras they don’t mix anything
957
in brick making. They use only red soil to prepairing the mud,no mixing any additional material. These
958
black soil bricks are not good enough if water touches the brick they will damage. But the red soil bricks
959
are very hard if we want to break we have to use hammer or any hard metal tool. In Gujarat we can
960
find these bricks are present. In uttharpradesh bricks are burnt with first class grade coal this is called
961
steam coal. The power of A grade coal is high we can reuse the coal for more 2 times. But this coal if
962
we use for one time it will turn to ash. When you are passing on Lucknow highway so many Bhattis we
963
can see they use the best quality of coal “kam se kam” yearly they will maintain 9rupess for brick it
964
means 1 lack bricks sold for 9 lakhs.
965
Taruna: we are labours bhaiyya, for 1 lackh bricks we get 50,000. That to Work from 4-5months,
966
“bahuth mehanath ka kam hai bhaiyya”
967
Me: but you people are doing grate contribution for nation also, actually from the beginning of our
968
civilization. In this world why humans only can think and do things? In this nature each and everything
969
has life but physical, structural application is different from each and every species, directly the point is
970
all living beings and are depend on 4 legs, only human have the ability to stand with two legs, our legs
971
has designed like that. So human hands are free to do anything that animals can’t do
39
972
So we started doing things with hands then at the same time our brains are working according to what
973
we are doing. This is how human evolution started.
974
Man started doing bricks for his/her shelter purpose but now-a-days this is the main step in urban
975
development and industries (Begin from sindhu civilization).
976
Dilharan: Shiva is not hearing our words regarding education. Not even a single work he will do
977
perfectly. I have a brother-in-law he studied 12th standard but working as a mechanic in garage. If Shiva
978
won’t study well I want him to learn these nuts and bolts work. And I want him to stay along with his
979
father-in-law but if Shiva do any mistake and it may cause problem to my brother-in-law job so called I
980
didn’t send him. i have good relationship with my brother-in-law because When he discontinued his
981
studies he was free for some days in those days I have taken him along with me to do work in bhatti he
982
worked for 6 months but he doesn’t like this work. He said I can’t do this donkey work and went away.
983
He wants to start self mechanic shop but for that he needs nearly 2 lakhs to buy the things and place.
984
He will do mechanic work nicely. He will repair cars also per repair charge is 5000-10,000. If he stays in
985
city he can earn more money.
986 987
Date: 5th February
988
Duration: 10:30am – 9.30pm
989
Location: Brick making bhatti, URSAVAD, Near Adalaj
990
Actors: Dhilharan (40years old,), Taruna (Dhilharan wife) and me
991
Nature: Participant Observation, one to many
992
Me: Today I didn’t do mixing of mud but I made around50 bricks. I’m unable to analyze the correct
993
quantity of mud to be placed in mould. With that I have done unequal bricks. So I was little bit
994
disappointed but Dilharan keep encouraging me.
995
Dilharan: we have done this work lot many times so automatically we pick the mud which is sufficient
996
to do a brick so exactly the mud fits in to mould. Sometimes if more is been picked we will remove the
997
extra mud if the mud is not sufficient then we will add some more mud to the mould. So we can’t tell
998
that every time we will pick the mud exactly.
999
Me: But I feel sorry about the mud because every time I’m wasting the mud. The bricks I have done are
1000
not perfect because the sizes are different and the edges are not perfect.
1001
Dilharan: Don’t worry. We will reuse it.
40
1002
Me: Every day after finishing of work Tharuna force me to wash the hands and legs with hot water but I
1003
feel so embarrassed because I feel that why do I waste the hot water as I’m not doing the work
1004
properly. With the making of 25 bricks my legs are started paining and even back ache also started for
1005
me.
1006
But daily as I told them to not to give hot water they are giving. But I like to stay some more time in
1007
mud.
1008
Tharuna: This is winter and more over your health is not alright if you will not wash your hands with hot
1009
water and soap it may cause some other problem. So wash your hands. As we will work daily in this
1010
climate and mud nothing happen to us but you won’t work daily so you fall ill.
1011
Me: If health problem will not arise how can we know about sickness?
1012
Dilharan: Today Shiva also helped us. Morning he removed all the dried bricks and arranged them like
1013
a wall and prepared some bricks also but after sometime he started crying and telling us his hands are
1014
paining so we told him to go and play. With that he again started roaming around bhatti. Idiot he is a
1015
kam chor.
1016
“Everyday prathiksha will made a bricks chair and cover it with jute bag for me to sit and she sits along
1017
with m. But today might be of too much cold she gave only jute bag and went in to home. So I have
1018
only made bricks chair and sat. Till now Tharuna is still talking that topic about hot water she told Shiva
1019
to wash his hands and legs with hot water”
1020
Me: NO..!! I don’t want to wash my hands now, only I will wash when I leave from here. If I cleaned also
1021
I have to sit here in dust so again I have to wash. So I will do that before leaving.
1022
Tharuna: No it’s so cold go and wash your hands and sit inside the home don’t come out.
1023
Me: No.. My work is to sit and talk with you. You are doing work here what’s the meaning of sitting
1024
inside?
1025
Tharuna: At least wear your sandals.
1026
Me: it’s ok taruna ji Leave it, while doing work do you feel bore? Why I’m asking is everyone while
1027
working they are listening radio. You do have the radio but I never saw you listening radio. You don’t
1028
feel bore or while working do you talk to each other?
1029
Tharuna: If we listen to radio we can’t concentrate on work it leads to some disturbance for us. If alone
1030
we are working means then we can work with listening to radio. But together we are working so we talk
1031
while working so we don’t feel bore. We have used all devices. Shiva is there know he always listen to
41
1032
songs so while working he put some songs and some times he keeps films also. We are fed up with all
1033
of these. We don’t like high sounds it causes some irritation.
1034
Me: ok
1035
“Every person has his own tastes so these people don’t like music while working”
1036
Dilharan: Today owner has come and talked to me for long time
1037
Me: why did he come?
1038
“Did he talk about me he might be talked about am I disturbing them during work?”
1039
Dilharan: he wants to check how the work is going?
1040
Tharuna: bhaiyya you are also daily coming and going Na.
1041
Dilharan: you are asking about our lifes how the poor people are living and doing their works for life .
1042
Tharuna: why you need to do all these things? What’s the use? Is it useful for anything?
1043
What is the use to you and your college?
1044
Me: ok am telling you openly..
1045
Tharuna: you are staying up to night and doing bricks along with us. You have said that you came here
1046
to see the brick making but you are working along with us. Do you have any profit with this?
1047
Me: ok coming to that point basically on first day itself if I would have told you what I want to do, maybe
1048
you might have not understand it and moreover you can understand it in another way. If you don’t
1049
understand what I’m telling you might have not allow me to come to your home. So I said that I came
1050
here to see the brick making but I came here to stay along with you and want to mingle with you. This is
1051
one type of module in my college. Education means not only reading books or studying in computer we
1052
need to know every ones life style and what they are doing in their life everything comes under
1053
education. So my sir sends me to know all these things so I have chosen you. I want to know your work
1054
and your talent in brick making and how you managing your life with this work so that I can access how
1055
some things are hard to do. If I get chance to interview for whole week day and night with Dilharan and
1056
completes my project.
1057
Dilharan: No problem we don’t have any problem really if you want to stay, you can..
1058
Me: Daily why I am coming in the evening is, in day time you will work very hard in between if I come
1059
and made you to talk with me it may cause some disturbance to you and burden. I don’t like it so I’m
1060
not coming in morning time. But from two days I was not able to come here, by that reasone I decided
1061
to stay whole day today so came early.
42
1062
Dilharan: yes as we are doing our work in morning we can’t spare our time to talk with you and more
1063
over in day time the mud will get hard easily so we need put extra strength on it to prepare bricks.
1064
Sometimes we will get heavy body pains and with that we will not do work. On that day we don’t get
1065
money and we lost 1000 rupees. If we take rest what is the use of coming here from longer distances?
1066
On Friday we will have holiday so I will be free you can come on that day we can talk for hours and you
1067
can have dinner here and can sleep here only.
1068
Me: Thank you so much but sleeping here is not possible. I can’t make you feel uncomfortable but
1069
defienetly I will spend maximium time with you on Friday
1070
Dilharan: Ask me what ever you want me to ask I will tell what I have known.
1071
Me: This I have to ask and this I have to know like that there is no fixed proforma for this. I just want to
1072
know your working skills and your view towards world. To this I don’t know what questions to ask I’m
1073
doing experiment only.
1074
Dilharan: Ask me I will tell you if you don’t ask me I can’t tell you anything. And first of all we will have
1075
lunch then will discuess what ever we want.
1076
Me: no am not hungry actually.
1077
Taruna: nahi bhaiyya roti hai chawal hai sab kuch hai..
1078
Me: ok I’ll eat only two roti ethna garmi me khane ka maan nahi hai.
1079
Dhilharan: khana nahi khaya tho kaam karneka thakath kahase aayega..
1080
Me:ok.. now you can tell me about your life, how was your childhood? How did you think of it?
1081
Dilharan: in childhood I have gone along with my father and do this work. My parents are uneducated.
1082
They are very poor. I didn’t think about other things every time I just thought about money only. For the
1083
only sake of money I’m doing this hard work and brick making.
1084
Me: have you think that is there any other with the same salary? Like you worked in railway don’t you
1085
have nice salary in that? Why did you left that job?
1086
Dilharan: in those days we need to work under contractor. There is contractor between workers and
1087
government. If he likes us he will writes letter to government and proposed our names but for that also
1088
we need to give some bribe to the contractor. I am a poor guy I don’t have money how can I give him?
1089
So in that time money needed is high. In bricks bhatti they will give 1000 rupees a day so why should I
1090
need to go for another job. So I left the job in railway.
1091
Me: Ok. Then do you sleep with these pains or you do anything for this to get rid off these pains.
1092
Dilharan: anything means? 43
1093
Me: like dinking alcohol?
1094
Dilharan: yup why shouldn’t i? But if I tell you might be take it as wrong so I didn’t tell you. Every Friday
1095
I and my brothers 3 members will have drink.
1096
Me: Ohh. What do you drink?? Where did you get?
1097
Dilhara: we will get but not English drinks. We are poor know so we take white drink. As Friday is a
1098
holiday we will go to adalaj to bring grocieries so we will bring from there.
1099
Me: white means?? Is it Gin?? That is for ladies know?
1100
Dilharan: It’s not an English drink. It’s made in pot by own it will be in packets in market. Its an Illegal
1101
business. In another states the police will arrest the people who are selling these drinks but here the
1102
business people will manage the police by giving them bribe.
1103
Me: ok in our areas it will be called as Gudumba, Sara. This Friday I will also come and buy will tell me
1104
the address?
1105
“ Tharuna might have someother type of expectations on me. Shockingly she asked me do you drink”.
1106
Tharuna: Do you drink?
1107
Me: Yes, sometimes with my friends.
1108
Tharuna: You might be drinking of English brands.
1109
Me: English??
1110
Tharuna: I think beer.
1111
Me: yes I will drink everything. I have many types of friends so I will drink all varieties. What ever drink I
1112
will get I will drink it. Here I will get this type of drink so I will drink it along with you.
1113
Dilharan: No. You can’t drink it. Each packet costs 20 rupees but if you drink one packet you can’t go
1114
to your home. It will have that much power.
1115
Me: No. I also had it in my school days. I have a friend he belongs to tribe family so they will prepare in
1116
their home. When ever we don’t have money he used to bring these packets and all our friends will
1117
drink. I still remember the smell of it. If we smell it before drinking we can’t drink it. If we drink one
1118
packet it is like full bottle but I have drunk it many times.
1119
Tharuna: Ok this Friday had dinner here itself. I will prepare non-veg on Friday.
1120
Me: why do you take risk? I will have food in my hostel mess. If I buy those packets and take it to my
1121
hostel I can drink it with my friends.
1122
Tharuna: we don’t have any objection. If you don’t have any objection in eating food in our house we
1123
too don’t have objections. 44
1124
Me: Ok I’m very happy, in this dry state Gudumba along with home food that to Non-veg. Ahhahaha…!!
1125
So Luckly tomorrow is Friday if you tell me when you will go out then I will also come along with you
1126
and spend time with you.
1127
Dilharan: So directly you come in the evening for dinner.
1128
Me: No need for lunch I’m just coming as a friend. But as part of my class work I have to spend the
1129
whole day with you so if you tell me when you people are going then I will come with you by walk or by
1130
auto or whatever it may be. I will shop along with you.
1131
On that movement “I don’t know why they are laughing like hell”actually they are not beliving me that I’ll
1132
come with them to slum market and being with them as a friend.
1133
Dilharan: You bring some English drink you can’t drink ours
1134
Me: Offo.. Its ok I can drink that I have experience. You don’t worry in my home town also these are
1135
sold for 10 rupees in small packets here it is 20 rupees that’s the only difference. We call it as gudumba
1136
Dilharan: yes I too heard it.
1137
Me: ohh how do you know this?
1138
Dilharan: My brother-in-law works in bhilaspur he has two Telugu friends Muslims.
1139
Me: ohh ok.
1140
Dilharan: Do you know Muslims marry thier sisters?
1141
Me: Yup I know. You too don’t like it? You are with full of customs.
1142
Dilharan: Ha. As the days are going these situations may increase. No one is following customs and
1143
culture. No one will stop everything will happen.
1144
Me: In this case I know the reason why they do marriages like that.. If you don’t know that then I’ll
1145
explain to you what I know about it. In Muslim culture they can marry any one who didn’t drink his /her
1146
mother’s milk. They can marry.
1147
Dilharan: Yes I have some idea about this. In Muslims houses no lady will feed other babies other than
1148
her children. Even for relative’s children also she won’t feed. But in our Hindus if mother is not there her
1149
younger sister or elder sister will feed the baby. So called they marry their cousins
1150
Me: Dilharan ji do you have friends??
1151
Dilharan: Here I have cousins but in my village I have friends. In these days every one is friend even
1152
20 years boy of my height is also a friend for us. In our area there are 50 youngsters for every festival
1153
they collect the money and arrange tent, ganapathi band baja etc. even if any dances has to arrange or
45
1154
for baarath they only look after. Here Every Friday I, Rajendra Nayak, Bihar Nayak will drink together.
1155
We all are relatives.
1156
Me: ohh ok then Bihaar Nayak came from Bihar?
1157
Dilharan: No. his name only Bihar. He stays in our village along with us he is cousin to me. All our
1158
houses are built side by side..
1159
Tharuna: in this bhatti we only belong to banjara and came from one village.
1160
Dilharan: Yesterday you spoke to one person named Vicky Burman he is not belongs to our
1161
community. He came from mayavathi place.
1162
Me: Mayavathi means? Is he From Bihar?
1163
Dilharan: No. He is from Lucknow.
1164
Me: I don’t have knowledge in north side places.
1165
Dilharan: Mayavathi Bahujana Samajwadi Party.. He also belongs to that party. We used to support
1166
panja symbol party but now its not there lotus symbol came in to majority.
1167
“Me: I thought that in north panja is another party”
1168
Me: you said panja what is that party?
1169
Dilharan: Congress party.. From long days back my parents used to vote for panja symbol so I also
1170
vote for that. But now BJP government is in majority our congress party lost.
1171
Me: why did you vote for panja symbol? Is there any reason?
1172
Dilharan: In those days Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi used to do service to people. But now Sonia
1173
Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are not doing that much so lotus party formed government.
1174
Me: Do you think that congress did anything for you?
1175
Dilharan: We are poor in those days and still we are poor. What can do government for us?
1176
Tharuna: BJP party also didn’t do anything for us till now.
1177
Dilharan: Now 7 months has passed away nothing has done more 4 years are there let’s see. In earlier
1178
days government has taken 20 quintals of rice from farmers but all thought that after this government
1179
has formed 25 quintals of rice will be taken but only 15 quintals of rice is being taking. Where we have
1180
to store remaining 5 quintals? To eat 10 quintals is enough for us we have to preserve these 10
1181
quintals in mud coated bamboo tub to prevent them from rats. We need to place it in height. We have
1182
been trying hard to preserve rice. We came here after going home everything will be eaten by rats and
1183
spoiled by excrete and smells bad. We have our own problems. What is the use if they are stored in our
1184
houses? We want to sell them as early as possible but the government is decreasing the quantity day 46
1185
by day and ultimately we are loosing. The government is not known about our problems. We don’t say it
1186
open but we always scold Modi in our hearts.
1187
Now this pain and everything is for my daughter’s marriage only. We will work for 2 more years with out
1188
gap. In our village farmers are many in number their lands are near to the water cannal so the income
1189
will be high for them but our land is some what longer distance from water cannal so the income will be
1190
low. If the rains are heavy then only the crops will be in good condition.
1191
You can ask me what ever you want to know….
1192
Me: Not like that Dilharan ji... It’s not like that we have to know this thing or that thing. What ever
1193
you tell I will know it. How your wife cooks? What is your opinion on your wifes cooking? We can talk
1194
like this also. Ma ji tell me in which age you learned these cooking from your mother? She taught you or
1195
you alone learned.
1196
Tharuna: I didn’t remember. But I used to be with my mom only along with my mom I used to work. If
1197
they go to work I also went along with them. Firstly I learned how to prepare tea. We eat roti very rarely
1198
daily we eat rice only so next I learned how to cook rice. There is no special procedure for curries
1199
everyone will eat any type of curry so asusual I will prepare curry.
1200
Me: We will also eat rice only. No roti.
1201
Tharuna: But we prepare rice in different way. Uttar Pradesh people add correct quantity of water to
1202
rice and cook. It will be tasty. But we add more water and after sometime we will drain the water.
1203
Me: Offo if you do like this what ever the strength presents in rice will go off.
1204
Tharuna: strength means?
1205
Dilharan: thakath??
1206
Me: Yes..!! And you only telling that if we add correct quantity of water to rice and cook it will be tasty
1207
then why are you not doing that? Knowingly why are you doing this?
1208
Tharuna: We love to eat this type of cooked rice. We have been doing this from my parent’s childhood
1209
we have been addicted to this.
1210
Me: Ok. Atleast do you drink that drained water?
1211
Tharuna: No, we will discard that water, what we will do with that water?
1212
Dilharan: Atleast if we ask our children to drink this water thay won’t like to drink it. If we ask thay
1213
literally tell us we eat only rice. From my great grand fathers we used to cook rice in this manner.
1214
(Chawdi patthi wadi pepal ka pead) in forest our grandfathers used to eat this. They feed their children
1215
and they don’t eat anything. 47
1216
Tharuna: This type of situations you use to see in cinemas but our poor people problems are like this
1217
only.
1218
Dilharan: the directors will make money with these situations by doing pictures.
1219
Me: Yes..!! Ok then I will go to hostel. So tomorrow is holiday for you so when should I come?
1220
Dilharan: Tomorrow we will go to adalaj to bring groceries and vegetables.
1221
Me: Ok no problem I will come along with you in auto. Inform me when you people are going to start.
1222
Dilharan: Along with us in auto? No you can come on your bike at 2’O clock.
1223
Me: No no I don’t know the route. I want to come with you so how can I come by own? Do you have
1224
problem? Dilharan: why do we have objection? You will feel uncomfortable with coming us.
1225
Me: Am very comfort with you people. Don’t worry about it. And I don’t know the surrounding palces to
1226
see if I come along with you you can able to know.
1227
Tharuna: Is it.!! You are studying in a college you used to roam know?
1228
Me: Ha ma ji but I don’t have friends here to come along with me. No one has time here
1229
Dilharan: More how many Fridays you stay with us?
1230
Me: I will stay here for more 2 months after then I have to go to do job.
1231
Tharuna: Read well and get a good job.
1232
Me: Yes thank you ma ji,
1233
Tharuna: How it would be the job?
1234
Me: Design..!! We have sit in office and do our work.
1235
Tharuna: Achha..!! Working in office..! Ok
1236
Me: it doesn’t mean that working in office is like signing on files.
1237
Example: you are using mobile phone know. We do work on how the mobile should work and how the
1238
camera should work, shape of touch screen buttons, quality, operating system all these we keep in
1239
mind and work for the better device to come out. Like this Electronic + design together we create new
1240
innovations. This is we do in office.
1241
Dilharan: Oh..! Like an engineer
1242
Me: Hum almost like that. Daily I’m forgotten to take your phone number. I was unable to tell you
1243
whether I’m coming or not.
1244
Dilharan: Yes. Sometimes if you didn’t come prathiksha is keep on waiting for you.
1245
Me: Offo..! I am very sorry for that, so I will save your phone number now itself. May be if I have
1246
another work on tomorrow I can inform you. 48
1247
Tharuna: Yes if we have your contact number we can call you and know your wellness. Everyday you
1248
are going in the night times so that we can call you and know you whether you reached safely or not.
1249
As you are going in night times we feel fear up to next day. Anyway if the time won’t permit you to come
1250
in the morning atleast come in the evening for dinner.
1251
Me: Thank you so much ma ji.. 98% I will come along with you to the market.
1252
Dilharan: I have 2 numbers Gujarat number and chattisghad number. If the balance is not there in
1253
chattisgad number it won’t work. I don’t know the Gujarat number ask shiva he will give you.
1254
Me: ok
1255
Dilharan: Don’t you feel cold?
1256
Me: Ha it’s too cold.
1257
Tharuna: So called I’m telling you to wash your hands and legs with hot water. Wear socks and shoes
1258
while sitting otherwise the health will damage.
1259
Me: we have to experience every situation in life. If I work with you in cold then only I can able to
1260
understand how hard this work is. Its not like you are telling and I’m writing I have to do and feel it.
1261
Dilharan: Do you eat chicken and fish?
1262
Me: Why not I’m a non-vegetarian I will eat every thing.
1263
Dilharan: Ok. If you like we will prepare chicken curry and fish curry. Not only this day every Friday we
1264
will cook non-veg when ever you want you can come.
1265
Me: Thank you so much..!! When you told me gudumba with nonveg then itself I decided that tomorrow
1266
I’m going to eat home food but at what time afternoon or night?
1267
Dilharan: Almost same time but little bit early. If we start drinking by 9’o clock we can finish it off by
1268
10’o clock and can eat mouth full. Ok?
1269
Tharuna: If you feel much sleepy then you can sleep here and morning you can go. Ok?
1270
Me: No no I don’t drink that much if it is gudumba I can’t drink much but I will take little. So might be I
1271
don’t feel that much sleepy. If I will be in that situation for sure I will sleep here only.
1272
Thank you... So when we have to go adalaj? Whether we will go on my bike or along with your friends?
1273
Dilharan: No not like that I told you know my cousins are there Rajan and Bihar Nayak I will go along
1274
with them. You directly come to home by 7/ 8’o clock for dinner.
1275
Me: No dilhar ji I want to come to market. If said no also I will come.
1276
Dilharan: ok, After coming here you bought bike?
1277
Me: No this is my friends bike we are staying in hostel know so for help I asked him he gave me. 49
1278
Dilharan: Acha dosth hai thera. Might be he is a good friend to you.
1279
Me: Yes..!! After thinking of tomorrow special spicy dishes I am getting saliva in my mouth. In our hostel
1280
every Sunday we will have non-veg but they don’t cook that much spicy. Quantity is more but not tasty.
1281
Gujrath people don’t know how to cook non-veg they are good at vegetarian dishes. For non veg we go
1282
to hotels, even though there will be lot of difference between hotel food and home food.
1283
Tharuna: if you eat in hotel your health may spoil. My sister stays in bhilaspur she don’t encourage out
1284
side foods what ever her children asks she prepares in home itself.
1285
Me: Even my mother also same like that... Whatever it is we eat in home only we didn’t bring anything
1286
to eat from outside. My dad doesn’t allow it. After we have grownup we have been sent to hostel for
1287
further studies there we started to eat outside food till then we didn’t eat outside food.
1288
Tharuna: My sister children also staying in hostel. Not to let them eat outside food she prepares
1289
mixture and everything in packets and sent them.
1290
Dilharan: Her husband is younger than me he works in railway (dhilharan wife >sister > husband). If we
1291
want to come to gujarath we need to come to bhilaspur one day before to catch the train because the
1292
train starts in bhilaspur by morning 6am. From my village to bhilaspur we can’t come early in the
1293
morning so one day before we come to bhilaspur and stay in our cousin house. As he is a railway
1294
employee he stays besides to the station we will stay there and catch the train in next day. Every time
1295
we will do the same thing we can stay in lodge but he don’t allow us to stay and we don’t have idea and
1296
moreover the cost is high. He respects us very much. This time also we stay there and we came here.
1297
Before coming here Saddu bhai wife (Sali), my wife sister she prepared chicken, mutton he brought
1298
English drink everything ate and drink. When we go from here also we get down there by 8’o clock in
1299
evening so we stay there again he brings drink she prepares non-veg mouth full we eat and drink. Next
1300
day morning we will catch the bus and we will go back to our home town. When we will be in our home
1301
town we will talk in phone weekly once but after coming here we are not in touch because to make a
1302
call it will be in roaming so the call cost will be double the cost. So every Friday we talk for some time
1303
and we ask them to have a look on my daughter. Every week I will recharge my sim with 50 rupees
1304
everyday for some time we talk with my daughter so that she feels happy. if we skip the call for one day
1305
she started crying.
1306
Me: Then who will look after at home?
1307
Tharuna: dhadhi chache..
50
1308
Dilharan: My mother is there in the house beside my house my brother is there with family he has a
1309
daughter she also same age. Another brother’s daughter also there all are there to look after her. I have
1310
2 brothers and 1 sister. All are married.
1311
Me: Sister means younger or elder?
1312
Dilharan: She is younger than all of us, she has two kids.
1313
Me: Means you only came here to work. No one came with you to work.
1314
Dilharan: No they also went to work in bhatti but not here. Near to chattisgahd prathapghad is there
1315
and in alahabad they are working younger brother is a tractor driver. Remaining all is working in bhatti
1316
only. In our village relatives are there but no one came this much longer distance to work.
1317
Tharuna: But we prefer to work here only rather than working in chattisgahd.
1318
In our chattisgahd we have many factories like coal factory, steel, and silver, gold. For evry materials
1319
factories are there. Chattisgahd is number one in position than other states.
1320
Dilharan: Profit is more for government.
1321
Me: But you said that water scarcity is high.
1322
Tharuna: Normally we will get bore water but it’s not useful for agriculture.
1323
Me: why?
1324
Dilharan: Every where the water is draining out the land is becoming unfertile. Frorest itself don’t have
1325
water to grow. How can we get water?
1326
Tharuna: Chattisghad forest fruits are very tasty...
1327
Dilharan: From our Chatisgad forest to Orissa is a naxalite area. They live very close to us. In orrisa
1328
naxalism is very high.
1329
Tharuna: All kinds of materials producing factories are there in our Chatthisgad.
1330
Dilharan: In our village land raw materials are produce. It means (Loha patthar) Iron stone, coal
1331
everything is there. When the digging of land starts all these are came out so that coal and stones are
1332
separated and do business. Nearly 1, 50,200 people work in those mines. The mines are very nearer to
1333
our home.
1334
Me: I didn’t understand... Loha pattar means coal r granite?
1335
Dilharan: No, there are so many qualities of coal is there in that no.1 quality will be full black and big in
1336
size it can be cut with stone cutting machines only. It will be supplied to tata factory along the culcutta
1337
track lines and Bhilai (central railways). So the chattisgahd, culcutta will be in this direction. When we
1338
are in our home town we used to believe that during sunset in that sunset direction gujarth is there and 51
1339
in the direction of moon culcutta will be there. Delhi, Bombay, Nagpur cities are in the chattisgahd
1340
direction. If we need to go culcutta you have to cross the bhilaspur. From bhilaspur it takes 14-15 hours
1341
to culcutta.
1342
Me: Ok. I will leave for today so tomorrow you will go to adalaj by 2’o clock know I will meet you there.
1343
Tharuna: Brother, Climate is very cold; hot water is ready you can wash your hands and legs.
1344
Me: ok thank you.
1345 1346 1347 1348 1349 1350 1351 1352
Date: 6th February
1353
Duration: 2:30pm – 10.30pm
1354
Location: Brick making bhatti, URSAVAD, Near Adalaj
1355
Actors: Dhilharan (40years old,), Taruna (Dhilharan wife), Bihar nayak, rajendra nayak and me
1356
Nature: Participant Observation, one to many
1357
“Actually after coming to gujarath I didn’t go to sight seeing and not even I went outside for freak
1358
out.but I felt very happy because for the first time I’m going to market with my social group.so I have set
1359
up camera full charging and mobile also. With that I have started by 2’o clock before starting I have
1360
informed to Dilharan that I’m on the way I will be there in time. But they have gone already I met taruna
1361
ji she told me that just 2 minutes back they have gone. I got angry even then I told them that I’m coming
1362
they have gone I didn’t understand why they have gone leaving me. I thought I was late so they left”
1363
Taruna: shiva and his friend’s are going now go along with them so that you can meet Dilharan.
52
1364 1365
“Shiva, vikky barman and suhas nayak went to adalaj in auto...i didn’t understand why Dilharan
1366
has did like this. Am I doing any mistake? Or am I going beyond regarding ethnography? Am I
1367
over behaving with them? Might be Dilharan is not liking this as I’m asking his personal life
1368
without permission of Dilharan. In bhatti field beside to Dilharan house Babulal family is there in
1369
strating days I have talked with them for some time but now they vacate that house and have
1370
gone to some other place I didn’t recognize it unfortunately I saw babulal in market”.
1371
Me: Why are you missing in bhatti?
1372
Babulal: Quarrel was happened to both of us so called we vacated that house.
1373
“I felt very sad because such a good person is Dilharan but as the days passing on I’m seeing
1374
his negative shades. Did I underestimate him? Is my observation is wrong? Meanwhile I saw
1375
Dilharan I didn’t ask him anything about babulal mater or came to market without waiting for me
1376
but he is trying to explain me but as in the market disturbance is very high he didn’t told me. I
1377
decide I should not ask them anything if they interested they will tell” about babulal.
1378
Dhilharn: I have to buy some more groceries you wait in beside temple I will buy and come back.
1379
Me: I don’t have interest to go temple right now. I’ll roam in the market with you.
1380
Dilharan: No you feel very uncomfortable to shop in this market. Go and stay along with shiva in
1381
temple.
1382
“I thought why should I do the things they do like repeadtly so I went along with shiva in to
1383
temple. After going in to that I came to know that is step well all my college friends used to
1384
come over here and upload the pictures taken here in Facebook. Before leaving gujarath I want
1385
to visit this place but unfortunately I have seen this today. I felt very happy and spent much time
1386
here with shiva, vikky Burman and suhas Nayak. All have taken photos”.
53
1387 1388
“Totally 3 hours so many conversations has been happened”.
1389
Me: Is this market is open only on Friday or everyday?
1390
Vikky barman: Everyday the market is open but on Friday huge rush will be there.
1391
Me: Why only on Friday? If it is Saturday or Sunday there is a holiday for all there should be
1392
automatically rush will be there but what is this on Friday?
1393
Shiva: Friday is holiday for all bhatti workers working in Gandhi nagar. So everyone comes here on
1394
Friday to buy groceries.
1395
Me: Oho… is that the reason? O My God how many bhattis will be there around the city?
1396
Suhasnayak: kam se kam 25 or more than that.
1397
Me: is it ..!! I didn’t even know this.
1398
Vikky Burman: Every one will come today only so there huge crowd.
1399
We had spent much time in temple and came back to bhatti in auto by 5.30 PM. While entering in to
1400
bhatti I saw the owner sitting on bike. After seeing me he gets down from bike and talked to me. Its ok
1401
he is respecting me I thought. He asked me about project how it is happening? I told him ya everything
1402
is fine. I want to talk with you also is you tell when you will be free I will meet you. You can talk to me
1403
now but if I continue with the owner Dilharan might think in a wrong way. So I told him I will talk to you
1404
tomorrow. He said ok and left that place.
1405
At home some way the conversation has been started.
1406
Me: Is these groceries are sufficient for the whole week? If these are not sufficient from where do you
1407
bring the groceries?
1408
Dilharan: We will bring pickle from home town so with that we will eat but that situation won’t arise.
1409
These groceries will be sufficient for whole week.
1410
Me: Then where do you buy the drink? There are no wine shops in that market. 54
1411
Dilharan: Police problem will be there know so there will be no boards display for the wine shops back
1412
side of kirana shop they sell these packets. Each packet costs 20 rupees I have bought 4 packets.
1413
Me: What? You have bought packets? When? I didn’t saw you buying I was with you only?
1414
Dilharan: Before entereing market I have bought the packets and placed in bag.
1415
Me: Ok when I’m studing in school in 8th or 9th class I have tasted it and drunk at that time I was 14
1416
years old. I have one friend in his home they prepare this Sara / gudumba. Sometimes without knowing
1417
to his family he brings those packets me and my friends used to drink. Almost 13 years has gone I
1418
didn’t even smell it but I remember I was unable to drink it. If we smell it before drinking we can’t drink
1419
that’s what I remember. In those days if I drink 1 packet I used to be fell down but now 3 packets
1420
means have to see whether I can drink or not?
1421
Dilharan: If you squeeze one lemon in that it won’t smells bad and even the taste also changes. I don’t
1422
drink much I will drink 1 packet the remaining 3 packets you drink.
1423
Me: I think I too can drink only one packet. If I drink more than that I can’t go to my hostel.
1424
Dilharan: If we eat hot hot roti, chaval with fish and chicken curry ebriety will not be that much. Only
1425
without eating food after drinking causes ebriety.
1426
Me: What do you eat everyday roti or chaval? Basically what you eat daily the only thing you serve me.
1427
Don’t do any specials for me.
1428
Dilharan: No we eat some chaval and some roti so what do you want to eat tell us we will prepare that
1429
in huge quantity.
1430
Me: I will also eat the same things dont treat me as aspecial person. Serve me what ever you eat.
1431
“Along with us bihar nayak son Prashanth (7years old) is there. He is playing with prathiksha.
1432
Dhilharan likes him a lot, very funny and naughty boy. He is the first person affected by dog bite”
1433
Prashanth: Had your dinner now only.
1434
Me: Now?
1435
Dilharan: No. He will eat after sometime.
1436
Prashanth: Then when did you go to your home?
1437
Dilharan: He will go after had his dinner if not he will sleep here only. Why do you fell tensed?
1438
Me: Prashanth how do you feel now? Did dog bite get cured or not? Let me see.
1439
Prashanth: Do you take a snap of my wound?
1440
Me: Your wish if you want me to take i will but I can’t give you the photo print.
1441
“I can see the blood from the inner muscle of wound” 55
1442
Dilharan: It’s better now. That dog got mad even it killed one of his own puppies. One day bhatti owner
1443
beat this dog then onwards it started biting all. If we leave that dog like this it will bite every child it has
1444
to be sent out.
1445
Prathiksha: It made me to run. But I escaped from that.
1446
Me: Have you beaten that dog or did you do anything to their puppies?
1447
Prashanth: No, I didn’t do anything. It only bites me.
1448
Dilharan: Actually last year this dog stays along with us. Along with us it also eats. Every Friday we
1449
used to feed with chicken it won’t come in to home. It will be like a guard. Incharge also didn’t beat the
1450
dog and even he touches thier puppies.
1451
Me: What the incharge will do here? What is his work?
1452
Dilharan: His duty is to provide us sand, coal, soil, water, salt, boosa and rakhar. There are incharges
1453
for this bhatti. One incharge will be for one side of bhatti and another will be for another side.
1454
Me: Prashanth is Bihar Nayak son knows so he is your brother son.
1455
Dilharan: Bihar nayak is like my brother. We have been together inour home town so we all used to
1456
address each one as our own brothers. So like that he became my brother.
1457
Me: Ok all banjara people will automatically become as brothers.
1458
Dilharan: that’s it we three are like brothers.
1459
Me: Who are those three?
1460
Dilharan: Rajendra nayak, Bihar nayak and myself we three.
1461
“They switched on Solar charging light”
1462
Me: How much time this solar charging light will work?
1463
Dilharan: If we kept charging for the whole daytime it works for 4-5 hours. We can use kerosene lamp
1464
but litre kerosene costs 60 rupees and it will be finished off in 2 weeks. We came to know that solar
1465
charging lamp costs 450 rupees so everyone here bought solar charging lamps.
1466
Tharuna: Bhaiyya what the owner is telling?
1467
Me: He just asked how the project is going. How much time it takes? Is it everything fine or any problem
1468
is there?
1469
“I said everything is fine going. He asked what ever you want to know did you know it. Did you get the
1470
answers? There will be no question and answers. There is no agenda for asking questions. What ever
1471
Dilharan do, I have to know it.
56
1472
Dilharan: Everybody in bhatti is asking me is he is your Rishthedari? Kirana shop owner and another
1473
side bhatti people all are asking where he lives? Is he is your rishthedari or (mehaman)guest?
1474
Me: Risthydar means??
1475
Dilharan: Ghar ka bhuva, chacha ka ladka, ladiki, vo risthydar kehthe... Apune family relatives.
1476
Me:
1477
Dilharan: I said yes to them.
1478
Taruna: Daily they seeing you while stamping the mud and doing bricks so they thought that you might
1479
be our relative.
1480
Dilharan: They are asking me is he belongs to you? Then I told them yes he will be coming and going.
1481
I told them he is not doing entire work.
1482
Me:
1483
Taruna: Bhaiyya do you drink tea now?
1484
Me: No, I don’t drink daily. We have other drinks to drink then why should we go for tea?
1485
Everyday I’m coming here but I’m not taking the snaps. Daily I’m involving in stamping the mud so I’m
1486
not having time to take photos. If you don’t have any objection I will take snaps of you today.
1487
Dilharan: I didn’t shave my beard and cap is also not there. I forgot to buy it.
1488
Me: No problem I’m not giving these photos to paper. For my sake I’m taking snaps.
1489
“After photo session has completed I have gone around bhatti in mean while Rajendra nayak and Bihar
1490
nayak has come”
1491
Dilharan introduced Bihar nayak, Rajendra nayak I know them earlier from starting days,
1492
Me: Bihar nayak why are missing in bhatti?
1493
Dilharan: There is some work at home so he came here today only after 2 weeks from chatthisghad. In
1494
our relatives he is the only person who completed his 10th standard.
1495
Me: So tell me Bihar nayak ji how is your life going? How is brick making going on in this bhatti?
1496
Bihar nayak: What to tell brother. This work is very hard I can’t do it but what to do if we miss for one
1497
day there will be loss of 1000 rupees. What do you do brother?
1498
Me: I’m a student studying in NID. The campus will be in gandhinagar I will stay there in hostel.
1499
Bihar nayak: What is your native place?
1500
Me: Do you know Hyderabad? That is our capital city. My hometown is manuguru in khammam district
1501
350 kilometers away from Hyderabad.
1502
Bihar nayak: Tirupati belongs to your state right? Your language is Telugu. 57
1503
Me: Ha Telugu language..!! You know it.
1504
Bihar nayak: Ha I have two friends from your state.
1505
Me: Tirupati is not in our state now it belongs to Andhrapradesh. I belong to telangana state.
1506
Bihar nayak: In TV also we saw Tirupati bakthi channel and telugu Gemini channel..
1507
Me: Ohh ya correct all these are telugu channels.. Not bad staying in chattisghad you are watching our
1508
Telugu channels?
1509
Bihar nayak: Yes early in the morning beautiful songs will come I like those songs. So every day after
1510
woke up we keep bhakthi channel by hearing the songs we will do our work. If any one go to tirupathi
1511
compulsary have to give our hair to god right?
1512
Me: Not like that it depends on our wish. If you want to give you can if not you need not to give.
1513
Bihar Nayak: In chattisgahd some of my colleagues around 5-6 people went to visit tirupathi they faced
1514
languge problem there. They are unable to understand what the auto driver is charging for travelling
1515
and the restaurant bill. They have given their cards to swipe for the money.
1516
Me: So called now-a-days learning English is compulsory. You also join your children in English
1517
medium schools so that they don’t face any problems regarding language.
1518
Bihar nayak: No not like that if you go to Bengal thay speak Bengali and Hindi; if you go to Bihar they
1519
speak Bihari and Hindi, in Hyderabad they speak Telugu and Hindi but in tirupathi telugu and English
1520
This should not be like this. There should be one language so that every one can communicate like our
1521
country is hindusthan and our national language is Hindi so in India has to speak Hindi not English.
1522
Then anyone can go to anywhere in India and can talk to anyone.
1523
Me: then no need of English?
1524
Bihar nayak: That is Britishers language ours is Hindi. That is only important for us. Who ever want to
1525
go abroad they have to learn English. How many people will go to abroad? Might be 2% of 100% so for
1526
that 2% people why all of us need to learn English. We have to save our language we have to speak in
1527
Hindi only.
1528
“We 4 – Dilharan, Rajendra nayak, me and Bihar nayak are already started drinking”
58
1529 1530
Me: Yup, if you don’t mind I will tell you one thing, you know Hindi very well so you want everyone to
1531
learn Hindi for example in Tamilnadu they are comfortable with Tamil and English so they want
1532
everyone to learn English. So whoever is comfortable with some language they tell every one should
1533
learn that language. Anyway you’re your knowledge you told me this that’s great. You have studied up
1534
to 10th standard so called you came to point out the problem and giving solution to that for that I’m
1535
appreciating you.
1536
Bihar Nayak: Before Britishers government we all were together after they came they departed us so
1537
everyone is following that.
1538
Me: Bihar ji cool down... Great Eminent profressors are also looking for solutions to this problem
1539
everything will be alright with in few days. You are talking very topics these are not normal people
1540
problems this is world problem. We are there to know these types of problems. Don’t worry everything
1541
will be alright. ………………“AFTER SOME TIME”…………
1542 1543
Dilharan: If you have one week holidays try to come to chattisgahd. This gujarath number might not
1544
work there take my chattisgahd number. Give me a call while coming to chattisgahd I will take you to
1545
my home.
1546
Me: Sure defienetly I will come. I will come to your elder daughter’s marriage.
1547
Prathiksha: do you come to kiran’s (dhilharan elder daughter) wedding? {She is very happy about that}
1548
Me:Yes, I will come to your marriage also. Ok?
1549
Prathiksha:
1550
Bihar nayak: Bhaiyya our problem is about our children studies. Thye are unable to study. Prashath
1551
didn’t go to school this year if we join him in next year he will forget everything he studied. We are
1552
concentrating on work and not thinking about our children where they are roaming? What they are
59
1553
doing? Here one school teacher used to come but what happened we don’t know she is not coming
1554
now.
1555
Dilharan: Owner told her not to come.
1556
Me: Why like that. If children is studying what is the problem to him? He looks like a good person but
1557
why he idid like that?
1558
Dilharan: Owners will do rowdyism.
1559
Me: what..?? Is it true?
1560
Dilharan: How can he do business with out doing rowdyism? He has many connections with big shots.
1561
Apart from this he has so many businesses.
1562
Me: Is it true? Who told you?
1563
Dilharan: We have caretaker for us when we talk to him he will tell us.
1564
Me: Then did you asked the caretaker regarding teacher?
1565
Dilharan: We can’t ask him why? But he told us owner is not allowing teacher to come here.
1566
Me: Ok then. Your neighbor babulal has gone to other side of bhatti why?
1567
Dilharan: Babulal’s father used to drink everyday and beat his wife. Daily he used to do like this and
1568
sometimes he continuously shouting whole night. Its ok I don’t mind if he do all these things during day
1569
time but during night time due to disturbance we can’t able to sleep. We will do hard work during day
1570
time with lot of body pains we will sleep but sounds will disturb us. We have left it but one day he drunk
1571
and started beating his wife and she is shouting and crying I got very angry and went to talk with him
1572
but he is not in a state to hear my words. Then I called Rajendhran Nayak and Bihar Nayak we all gave
1573
him a warning if this repeats again we will beat you. That’s it he vacated his house. We told everything
1574
to caretaker and asked him to come back to that home but he has developed grudge on us. Our castes
1575
are different so he told to every one that we have attacked him with our people.
1576
Me: Ok I didn’t observe whether he is residing here or not but I saw him market then I got to know he
1577
was missing in bhatti. That’s why am asking now.
1578
Dilharan: its ok, I have recharged my phone with 60 rupees but Shiva can’t sit quite until the money got
1579
over. He will lift the call center call also the money will be cut for roaming charges. Call center people
1580
used to tell us press 2 for listen song and press 3 for accepting song Shiva will do all these so the
1581
money is over. While you are calling me I have just 2 rupees but your number is not like call center
1582
number so I lift the call.
1583
Me: But what is the use. You have gone without waiting for me. 60
1584
Dilharan: No I have waited. I thought that you might have come nearer so in mean time we started
1585
walking towards road we have waited there but Bihar Nayak forced me. I think you will come along with
1586
Shiva so I got in to auto but you have crossed us. At that time I’m on the way so didn’t get down from
1587
auto.
1588
Me: It’s ok no problem... It happens some times...
1589
Dilharan: Few minutes back when you are getting down from auto owner has met you and talked to
1590
you know I was very afraid of that.
1591
Me: Why the fear?
1592
Tharuna: You are a new person he doesn’t allow new persons in to bhatti in that case he stopped you
1593
and asked about your work. So I got a small doubt about you that did the owner have any doubt about
1594
me? I’m thinking that did he send you as an informer to know about us. But u told us everything what
1595
you have talked with owner then I realized.
1596
Me: Before coming to you I have talked with owner about my project and asked his permission. He
1597
gave permission then only I started talking with you.
1598
Dilharan: We don’t know that matter so we feel tensed.
1599
Me: Owner is asking me have you completed your work but it sounds like complaint for me. I was
1600
shocked because did any one gave complaint about me. But after hearing it many times I came to know
1601
he is talking about complete not complaint. This is what happens when shimla keeps in mouth and talk.
1602
1603
Dilharan: How is our bati boti??
1604
Me: Roti I know but what is this bati, boti?
1605
Bihar Nayak: In chattisgahd everyone asks like this. In our language boti means chicken bati means
1606
roti.
1607
Me: In Telugu boti means goat curry.
1608
Bihar Nayak: In Hindi also boti means goat but in our language boti means chicken. Roti is called as
1609
bati, Dilharan is saying you are eating bati boti is it good?
1610
Dilharan: In our place all ask like this only eat bati boti. But if outer people come to our home we ask
1611
them do you eat roti? Now we can tell you eat roti but you become as our family member so called I
1612
asked you like that.
1613
Me: Achha..!! Teek hai... So from now onwards I will also ask you like this… sab log bati boti kaya??
1614
ALL: 61
1615
Dilharan: laughing…
1616
Bihar Nayak:
1617
What is this boti..!!
1618
What is this bati..!!
1619
Dilharan: Bihar Nayak when drinks start talking in English. He completed his 10th standard his brother
1620
also completed. He drinks with us and starts talking in English.
1621
Me: Bihar Nayak and his brother passed 10th standard. You all people have grown up in one place then
1622
why didn’t you go to school?
1623
Dilharan: We too went but up to 2nd class only. But we have joined very late so children who are
1624
younger than me used to study in 4th class we were in 2nd class and the children younger than us are
1625
sitting along with us so we don’t liked it. Teacher used to bring a stick daily he beats us daily and he is
1626
a harijan we are OBC. We don’t liked it so called we discontinued our studies.
1627
Me: Means you are OBC so you don’t like if SC/ST teacher beats you so you discontinued. If he would
1628
belong to upper caste you may have gone to school and if he beats also you don’t mind it. Isn’t it?
1629
Dilharan: No it’s not like that. We don’t have problem with teacher but he has to teach us properly with
1630
out using stick. He uses stick for everything. We don’t like if we beaten by some one.
1631
“They think that teacher belongs to SC, ST he might have grudge on upper caste people so
1632
called he is beating. Or else truly that teacher is beating all the people. Anyways they have that
1633
problem in their mind so called they discontinued their studies”
1634
Dilharan: In those days only one teacher will be there to teach all classes even for tribes who are living
1635
in forests they teach them too. But now we have 5-6 teachers in a school but what is the use on behalf
1636
of teaching the students they are busy speaking in mobile phones. If teacher is not good how our
1637
children can study? So called i asked them for TC to join them in another school in bhilaspur. But they
1638
have made to come again and again and they told me that sir is not there, records are not there, papers
1639
are not there like that almost 45 days has gone but they didn’t issue TC. We have taken one reputed
1640
person for recommendation but no use.
1641
Bihar Nayak: We have thought that this wont be no use so we three Rajendhran, Dhilharan and me
1642
has gone. Straightly we have asked him whether you give TC or shall I beat you. Immediately he gave
1643
us TC. We have some respect towards teacher but they didn’t understand it. In Rural areas educated
1644
people will treat non- educated people like this. So many people want to go to study in bhilaspur but he
1645
didn’t give TC for them also. He has to think about Student’s future but he doesn’t give TC for any one. 62
1646
Me: What do you think about his doings?
1647
Dhilharan, Tharuna, and Bihar Nayak: For the sake of money, they can do anything for the sake of
1648
money. He doesn’t bother about our children future. He don’t have concern on any children he wants
1649
only money..
1650
Me: Ma ji chicken curry is too good… full tasty.
1651
Tharuna: Did salt is matches? Or ensure more?
1652
Me: Salt quantity is little bit ensured but more the salt more will be the taste.
1653
Dilharan: Here we have to buy salt but in our village we will get through government through ration
1654
card.
1655
200 rupees worth groceries will be given for us by government.
1656
Me: Ok. Dilharan opinion is in your village salt will be available freely there you can use much but here
1657
you have to buy so little amount should be used. Its ok but you are very luck to have well cooking wife.
1658
Apart from cooking she is sharing your profession, she looks after children. Anyway women are great
1659
they can do multi tasking.
1660
Bihar Nayak: In every house wife alone looks after her family.
1661
“randomly Rajendhran Nayak is preparing gudumba pegs”
1662
Tharuna: Enough this is the last peg don’t pour more to brother.
1663
Me: exactly ma mathlab ma hotha hai... She take’s care about children as like this...
1664
Dilharan: She has been telling don’t pour much.
1665
Tharuna: I think you got full drunkenness. For this night stay here and go by tomorrow morning. We will
1666
provide you mat and bed sheet you can sleep here.
1667
Bihar Nayak: Everyday in TV advertisement will be coming don’t drive when you drunk.
1668
Me: “Don’t drunk and drive”. I too don’t like drunk and drive but for sleeping I didn’t prepared for that so
1669
called I’m thinking. If I’m not in a state to go hostel definitely I will stay here but maximum I will try to go.
1670
Tharuna: First had your dinner then the inebriety will automatically control.
1671
Dilharan: You have to tell whether you can drive and go to hostel or you can’t drive. You decide it.
1672
Me: I can’t tell you anything right now after dinner I can access whether I’m active or not.
1673
Dilharan: Ok. If you eat food it will control drunkenness. After having dinner wait for 15-20 minutes then
1674
you can decide whether to go or not.
1675
Bihar Nayak: Yes don’t be confused. Think and take decision.
63
1676
Me: Yes I don’t get confused because I feel drunkenness and if I tell you that I don’t feel drunkenness it
1677
would be problem for me if I met with an accident. So if you feel trouble also I will stay here for this
1678
night and go to my hostel by tomorrow morning I too think that is the safest thing. But I can tell you after
1679
having dinner.
1680
Me: What ever it is from 2 years I have been eating tasteless salt less food and missing so much.
1681
Thanks ma ji for preparing such a delicious food for me.
1682
Dilharan: Hardly we stay here for more 2 months so when ever you want to eat you can come and eat
1683
happily.
1684
Me: Ok thank you so much for offering me but I cant make you trouble when ever I want. So when ever
1685
you cook this food make a call to me I will come.
1686
Tharuna: Every Friday we will eat so Friday evening at any time you can come. I will prepare for you.
1687
Me: Thank you ma Ji... You have understood that how much I’m missing this food. Why can’t you sit
1688
along with us to eat?
1689
Tharuna: No bhaiyya I will eat after you finished.
1690
Dilharan: Its ok she will after serving to us.
1691
Me: Hum if you don’t mind I will tell you one thing. She prepared everything for us and why can’t she sit
1692
along with us and eat? Why she has to eat after ours? How far it is correct? Why I’m telling now is we
1693
have two hands everything is nearer to our hands we can take and serve for our self so if she sits along
1694
with us it will nice know. Ma ji you are doing all these for me, when I came for project you accepted me,
1695
when I disturbed your work you didn’t scold me and you are serving me delicious food but I feel bad
1696
that I’m not giving you anything and I didn’t do anything for you people..
1697
“Actually I’m in total high so very senty dialogs has came from inside”
1698
Dilharan: Never think like that. In our life friendship starts some where this is also like that. In friendship
1699
giving and taking is not a matter.
1700
Me: wah kya bola apne.. I always hear that in poor families love and affection will be more but in rich
1701
families they will be less. Now I came to know that is true.
1702
Dilharan: aap ka sahi bath hai, ek dhum perfect..!!
1703
Tharuna: Come for holi festival bhaiyya...
1704
Dilharan: yes for that festival we will bring live coock, cut it, cook and eat at home.
1705
Me: Ha but I’m not sure about that whether I will come or not I cant tell you right now. Actually my sir
1706
has given me this task so came here and met you if not I wouldn’t have been met you. What he want us 64
1707
to do next we don’t know so at holi time in what work I will be I don’t know. We will see if I don’t have
1708
any college works, exams definitely I will come for holi and Friday evenings And I’m very happy today
1709
because without any relationship you offered me dinner and without having proper language for me you
1710
understood my words and talked with me. These types of people I can’t find in my life.
1711
Dilharan: Don’t think like that I’m treating you as my younger brother so called I’m moving like this. You
1712
can come to my home when ever you want before we leave to chattisgahd. Next Friday I will bring fish
1713
so come for dinner. If you have week day’s holidays you try to come to chattisgahd.
1714
Me: Sure definitely i will to Shiva’s marriage.
1715
Dilharan: Before Shiva’s marriage my elder daughter marriage will be done.
1716
Me: Offo..!! I forgot that you have elder daughter.
1717
Dilharan: I will inform you from here it takes 24 hours to come to bhilaspur. After getting down in
1718
bhilaspur I will tell you how to come to my village don’t get tensed I will arrange everything for you. In
1719
our village dusshera festival will be celebrated nicely Brahmin children wear the Ram, lakshman getups
1720
and burnt fire the Ravan.
1721
Me: Ma Ji its becoming late have your dinner.
1722
Bihar Nayak: She will eat now.
1723
Dilharan: In our family ladies should eat after her husband eats. That’s our culture and tradition.
1724
Me: But that should be changed Dilharan Ji, she is working along with you so if she eats along with you
1725
time can be saved. In my point of view these should not be followed.
1726
Bihar Nayak: Exactly I too have the same opinion.
1727
Me: Wife and husband should be equally treated each other.
1728
Dilharan: No, sometimes we will eat together but now you are there know so to serve it might be
1729
problematic.
1730
Me: Ok, may be but without having dinner you are serving us I feel uncomfortable with this. I
1731
understood that Dilharan Ji also doesn’t like it but for family she eats after serving to all.
1732
Dilharan: Yes our elders will scold if wife eats before to husband. She has to eat after her aunty, uncle
1733
and husband eats. These are following from our ancestors.
1734
Me: Ha I’m trying to break all these things. Anyway it’s becoming too late I will go to hostel.
1735
Bihar Nayak: Where you will go sleep here only.
1736
Me: I am perfectly all right, I’ll go.
1737
Tharuna: Go carefully bhaiyya. After reached hostel make a call. 65
1738
Me: Ok sure... But I’m not coming from tomorrow if I require anything I will come and meet you.
1739
Dilharan: Ok, it’s too cold outside shall I give you a bed sheet so that you can cover with that.
1740
Me: No thanks I have my jacket its enough for me. If you want any help from my side don’t hesitate to
1741
ask. I don’t know how I will be utilized for you but I’m telling you I will be available for you at any time.
1742
Dilharan: Tic hai...
1743 1744
Date: 9th February
1745
Duration: 2:30pm – 7.30pm
1746
Location: Brick making bhatti, URSAVAD, Near Adalaj
1747
Actors: Owner and me
1748
Nature: Participant Observation, one to one
1749
“I don’t have much interaction with owner occasionally sometimes when passing on bike he says hai
1750
to me. So if I interact with owner then I can know how the power dynamics will be? I called to Dilharan
1751
to know the owner phone number and to ask him when he will come to field. But he kept for charging in
1752
office room so prathiksha, nandini, sangeetha and some other people received my call and told me we
1753
wont give you number and asked me why are you not coming to field for the past 2 days? If you come
1754
to field now then we will give you the phone number like that they said and cut the call. I was tensed
1755
and didn’t understand why these children developed affection on me? If I don’t think about it I need not
1756
to feel for that but I can’t do it. So I have gone to field”
1757
Prathiksha, Nandini: bhaiyya why are you not coming from past 2 days?
1758
Me: My work has been completed know so from now onwards I won’t come daily but I will come
1759
occasionally.
1760
“If I tell them that I will not come for anymore I don’t know how they behave? So I told them
1761
occasionally I will come then they kept quiet”
1762
Me: Dhilharan Ji at what time Owner will come?
1763
Dilharan: He doesn’t have particular timings at any time he will come but once daily. if he comes also
1764
he will sit in office room. But why?
1765
Me: Nothing my work got completed know I want thank him. Ok once I will go to office and check
1766
whether he is there or not?
1767
Dilharan: ok 66
1768
“No one is there in office room, only workers caretaker is there”
1769
Care taker: what do you want?
1770
Me: I want to meet owner when he will come?
1771
Care taker: He came he is in field come I will take you to the owner.
1772
Me: Oh ok I will go and meet him.
1773
Care taker: No problem you don’t know exactly where he is in the field. Come I will take to the owner.
1774
Me: ok thank you.
1775
“Owner is counting bricks in field”
1776
Me: Hello sir how r u?
1777
Owner: Hai I am fine. How r u?
1778
Me: Ya I’m good...
1779
Owner: Have you completed your research??
1780
Me: Yes submission date was given to finish it off this is the last day. There is no particular in doing this
1781
study. It’s never ending process but if I have to submit I have to close it. So I came here to say thanks
1782
to you.
1783
Owner: Ok, what do you do after this study?
1784
Me: Nothing like that developing habit of understanding people so that in every situation we can
1785
understand others opinion. In this big universe there will be many types of people lives no one can
1786
understand all people but in our college they preparing us to understand every situation in every aspect
1787
through this subject.
1788
Owner: ok
1789
Me: Then do you come daily to field?
1790
Owner: Ya I will come if want to. As Friday morning’s I’ll be here for some work, then afternoon is
1791
holiday I won’t be here. In working days I will come once in a day. If my health is not good I won’t come
1792
some times.
1793
Me: Ok but here everyone has their own work and looks like they are doing their work properly so there
1794
is no need to come I think.
1795
Owner: No I have to come compulsorily if not quality problems will arise.
1796
Me: How come it happens? The money depends on their work and the count so their work depends on
1797
their hard
67
1798
Owner: Yes of course but counting problem may arise, mixing of materials, quality problems may arise.
1799
So from time to time I have to check how they are preparing and warn them if not when customer
1800
checks the quantity if he finds any fault he will reject the whole quantity.
1801
Me: Yes you are right..!! So can you tell me your business strategy plans in and out?
1802
Owner: I didn’t understand...
1803
Me: Ok how the factory runs? I heard that 6months this bhatti will closed then after 6months reopens
1804
why like that? And if it happens like that how you get income for non working days i.e, 6months? What
1805
is the plan in this?
1806
Owner: In these 6 months we will prepare sufficient bricks and store them to sell for next 6 months. In
1807
rainy and summer the work wont happens here. Again it reopens in fall and winter. So in rainy and
1808
summer the whole stock will be sold out but now the market demand for these red bricks is very less so
1809
the stock still here from last year.
1810
Me: Ohh after advent of cement bricks usage of red soil bricks has decreased know? Is this is the
1811
reason for your stocks to be here still.
1812
Owner: No only government will buy cement bricks, general people don’t use cement bricks.
1813
Me: y so?
1814
Owner: These bricks will control the temperature as it is made with soil but cement bricks won’t control
1815
the temperature we cant stay in that house without AC which is built with cement bricks. In cement
1816
bricks they use fly ash and chura so they are weight less, not strong and they produce heat. They use
1817
very less percentage of cement that is also as the government passed a rule so called they are mixing
1818
that much percentage if not they will prepare with out cement also. These red soil bricks are good.
1819
Me: Ok, if you want to go you can, I think you are free so I’m talking with you. If you want to here and
1820
there in field you can go I will come along with you.
1821
Owner: Ok I came to field now only.
1822
Me: Daily you will come by this time only?
1823
Owner: There are no particular timings for me whenever I want to come I will. Today I have slept for
1824
much time so I have came late if not I will come in the morning and sits in office room. Sometimes I will
1825
talk with workers
1826
Me: Ok do you talk with workers directly or to caretaker to tell the workers?
1827
Owner: caretaker will be available here always but I will see their doing and warn them if they can’t do
1828
this work I will tell them to leave. I have to sell the stock if they do bricks in their own I have to lose 68
1829
money so in that point I’m very strict. But sometimes due to burning problem or mixing problem the
1830
bricks will be so delicate some where but when we are selling in bulk they will sold out. If it happens like
1831
that there will be no problem. If when the customer checking the brick it breaks means then there will
1832
be so problem. Burning process is the hardest work of all. Money to be spent is high on that.
1833
Me: Is it? I thought that mixing mud and drying bricks is the hardest works and the expenditure will be
1834
more.
1835
Owner: No, for those works if we provide materials that is enough but burning process is too risky per
1836
month the expenditure on burning process is 42,000.
1837
Me: Why that much expenditure?
1838
Owner: Apart from all those burning process is the main if the brick won’t burn properly it will be waste.
1839
Come I will show you.
1840
Me: Ok. But what makes the expenditure more? Is it coal cost? Or workers cost?
1841
Owner: This burning process will continuously run for 24 hours on one side the bricks are burning and
1842
on another side arrange dry bricks so these two circles are continuously filled one after the other time to
1843
time workers shift their duties and by adding coal and burning will go on. As the work depends on
1844
workers risk the cost will be high. Every one don’t know Bricks arrangement and arranging them in
1845
correct manner uploading and downloading from tractor all these includes so the labor cost will be high.
1846
Me: So from how long you have been doing this business? When did you start this bhatti?
1847
Owner: Almost 6 years has completed.
1848
Me: Ohh what you were doing before this?
1849
Owner: Same this works but not here another bhatti.
1850
Me: Ohh. Have you left that bhatti or maintaining both?
1851
Owner: We have sold it to another person.
1852
Me: Y? What is the reason?
1853
Owner: we will do this business by taking place on rent basis, so the agreement got finished. First, we
1854
had agreement for 5 years later on we have continued it for more 3years total 8 years has passed so
1855
we left that place and again here we have taken this place for rent 6 years has passed.
1856
Me: Oh ok so, for how long years you planned in this place?
1857
Owner: I want it to maintain for 10 years, but have to see what my dad says.
1858
Me: Ohh you dad also looks after this?
1859
Owner: This is my dad business I’m looking after it. He is the owner. 69
1860
Me: ok, in this one circle how bricks can arrange?
1861
Owner: 75000 bricks, in 2nd circle nearly 1lakh bricks will fit.
1862
Me: Oh so how the business runs?
1863
Owner: Not bad.
1864
Me: Do you have any other businesses rather than this?
1865
Owner: No, I don’t do any other business.
1866
Me: So your father also has the same business or he has another?
1867
Owner: No, he also does the same business.
1868
Me: Do you have brothers or sisters?
1869
Owner: No, I’m the only son to my parents. Long back my father has some other businesses and
1870
earned so money, but now this is the only business we are maintaining.
1871
Me: ok are you married?
1872
Owner: Yes, I have 2 children. One kid is studying 3rd class and another is the nursery.
1873
Me: So do you also continue the same business or you want to do any other businesses?
1874
Owner: I don’t know other businesses I will do the same business for more 10 years after that I will
1875
think whether I have to do any other business or not? Now I have not thought about of other business.
1876
Me: How can you say up to 10 years? If you have targeted, then only you can say as 10 years.
1877
Owner: Ha now only government has kept so many conditions. We can do the bricks only with
1878
agriculture land soil. So many brick industries are there. We can prepare good quality of bricks with top
1879
soil so the first layer is red soil and those are first quality bricks second layer is black soil quality is not
1880
good but the cost is same as red soil bricks. If the land should not be disturbed means we should not
1881
remove top layers of soil, so the government has passed rule land should not be disturbed do bricks
1882
with fly ash and cement. So after some years have passed off they won’t allow us to do these soil
1883
bricks so my target is 10 years. Things can be changed in these 10years.
1884
Me: Oh, here coal is in gray color, but in our village we have coal mines the coal is in pure black color.
1885
Why it is like this here?
1886
Owner: Pure black coal is the A grade quality government has stopped providing that material to
1887
Bhattis. From Kutch, this coal has been sent by government to us. (matha ka mar, khand hai badi)
1888
government will provide it for GMDC.
1889
Me: do you have any problems with workers?
70
1890
Owner: We will have problems everywhere, but no one will tell me directly if they have any problem
1891
they will tell to caretaker. He has taken them so he will look after them.
1892
For example: He brought all people to work here worker has taken advance from us and went
1893
away so in that case caretaker is working on behalf of him.
1894
Me: O my God, if one person has gone caretaker is doing that worker’s job if two or three persons have
1895
gone then what he will do?
1896
Owner: We will deduct the money from his commission.
1897
Me: Ok... how far you have studied?
1898
Owner: I have completed my graduation, I have done my BCA course but I got failed. So I have
1899
discontinued my studies and started doing business. I have studied in the GRS College near the Low
1900
garden in Ahmedabad.
1901
Me: So from the starting your father also doing this business only?
1902
Owner: No my father studied up to 10th class. After completion of his 10th standard he started the
1903
transportation business it runs good but my father has brothers, so to one brother, he gave the
1904
transportation business and he made all people to have this Bhatti business. Now we are looking after
1905
this Bhatti. In Ahmedabad we have been as partners in some hotels. My uncles will look after that my
1906
dad is just as a partner. We don’t have any problem with those businesses. What are you studying
1907
now?
1908
Me: I’m studying in NID college Gandhinagar.
1909
Owner: From which place you came here?
1910
Me: Hyderabad.
1911
Owner: I heard that in Hyderabad education will be good isn’t it?
1912
Me: Ha everything will be there, but design college is here itself so called I came here to study. Have
1913
ever went to Hyderabad?
1914
Owner: No, I didn’t go to Hyderabad but I have been seeing it on TV. I know in India Hyderabad is
1915
famous.
1916
Me: Ok, try to come to Hyderabad.
1917
Owner: Danger place knows Hyderabad.
1918
Me: What why you have said like that? Everyone will think about bhiryani and drinking and all but you
1919
are telling Hyderabad is danger place.
1920
Owner: I feel like that. 71
1921
“Caretaker has come and asked owner to come for counting the bricks”
1922
Me: sir, shall I come along with you?
1923
Owner: sure come, but it’s not an interesting work just I have to count the bricks. I think you got bored
1924
of it.
1925
Me: its ok, I will see how you count.
1926
“So I have gone to see the process, but after some time I got bored then I say thanks and bye to the
1927
owner.again I met Dilharan family and came back”
1928 1929
“From that day onwards every Friday they use to call me, but I was unable to tell them that I
1930
can't come so I used to go sometimes we will drink gudumba, eat chicken, fish,roti and rice
1931
everything I eat and come back to the hostel, finally dilharan family members became very close
1932
to me. Every time I go we have been discussing many topics, but if I start writing all those topics
1933
I can't finish off my ethnography report so, I'm just stopping here. Totally they are treating me
1934
as their family member, Everytime when I'm going to meet them, they will tell me " aap hamara
1935
rishthydar hogaya". They take a promise from me that I have to come to chatthisghar for at least
1936
one time
1937
72
Date: 22rd January Line Nos. 107-165 115-116: He started explaining but I was unable to understand what he is talking. But I understood what he wants to tell me 123-127 I continuously talking with them for an hour and asked them about work timings. They said that from morning to till night they will work. But today no one working so I asked them because of small drizzle in night the ground is wet. The bricks kept on ground wont dry so they didn’t prepare ands moreover they don’t have water. So, there is no work for today. they said no because tomorrow is Friday holiday for them 131-143 Category (Perfect arrangement of bricks) “Step by step in 23 rows they are arranging bricks and puts fire in the bottom. From the top sand is been spill on bricks and when the bricks catches fire they slightly disturb the bricks so that some holes is been generated from that coal ash is been sent. When the coal ash is been started burning again the hole is closed by brick. Even if anyone stands on bhatti they won’t get affected with this fire or smoke because the smoke is been sent out through chimney. The arrangement of bricks is like that. It takes 24 hours to get a completely finished brick. For every 8 hours 2 people exchange their duties. This is called “Eit Ka Bhatta”. This is a wonderful design of brick making” Me: If the arrangement disturbed and anyone fell down what would happen? Bhatti Worker: It won’t happen the arrangement is perfect. But if the mud used in Eit or the ash used is not a good one the problem may arise and the chances of collapse may happen. 148-164 Category (Right Place & Good relation) In between owner has come and I met him asked for permission. He accepted my request then I have taken a small interview from him I respects every employee of this bhatti all the workers are very good Employees also said before this to me that owner is good “So caller the relationship between them is good I felt I have chosen right place to do my ethnography because last time I have written all about the canteen owner character. He always talks very rudely with employees. The canteen Owner asked copy of what I have written and submitted here people have good relation between everybody” I felt very happy about that very easily I found Place and people 72
Date: 23rd January Line Nos. 179-198 178-179 Category (Technology) The very interesting technology they are using they are doing amazing work 187-188 elder son discontinued his studies and helping him in workplace but his father doesn’t like it, as the situation makes him to accept it he is in a state to insisting him to study 190-192 Category ( Banjara ) Younger daughter plays in field and sometimes work along with her family. Dhilharan father is a daily labor and belongs to banjara community. So at the age of 12 years old he went along with his father to work in brick industry. 193-194 Category Soldier in battle I love the way they are using the shovel. How he handles the shovel tells us his smartness in work.In this he looks like a soldier in battle field. 196-197 some people are telling me that give me 200 rupees I’ll teach you and tell you everything about brick making ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Date: 24th January Line Nos. 206-330 205-206 Category (Education) I met person is “Rajendhra Nayak” he and his family are working in brick making industry 208
Husband and wife works in brick industry itself
212-213 Rajendhra Naik: no bhaiyya how can they study? They are staying with us. If we were in Chhattisgarh they would have gone to school.
73
217-226 Whenever they will get the capability of doing their own works until then we will not leave them alone in village once they have grown up and can do their own works we will leave them. Me: Are you strongly decided to allow them to study or let them do this work to survive? Rajendhra Naik: No, we don’t let them to do this job. We don’t want them to work hard like us. Whatever work we are doing now is very hard we need to do it from morning to till night then only we will get some money to eat. We don’t want our children to suffer like this. We will make them to study at our level best after that it’s depends on their fate. If they read they will get knowledge if they don’t they have to do this job only. I don’t have a chance to study so I have gone with my parents and learn this work and doing now. This is my fate 233
6 months we will work here and for another 6 months we will work on our agricultural land
“The two ladies in that field sat outside of their house”
“So they prepared for that in advance”.
“I Understood one thing in every family in the field has a radio”
238 240 244 266-268 Me: the dog has bitten your son. For this treatment any money reimburse is there from you owner?? Aunty: no he won’t give. Owner ka galthi kya hai isme? Already one more kid has bitten by dog; they didn’t get any money from Owner. 276
Aunty: we came here after diwali and we will leave after holi
285-286 “I want to ask Gori some questions. The first question comes to my mind is about education background and age” 289-291 Category (City life) Regarding age I was feared to ask. Because, I think that they may take it as a wrong question. But I understood she might be 14-16 years old. Aunty: the city people won’t have moral values and ethics we don’t trust them. in our home no one is educated. We are very poor so we all are in working from childhood 74
305-309 Me: why don’t you educate your children? Aunty: we are very poor we struggle for existence so how can our children study? In our village who ever have the land he is rich person. We don’t have much land we have only 3 acres of land but if we have 30 acres then we will called as rich. No one is educated in our village. We don’t wish to study. We have only one wish we have to earn money and buy huge land then only we are great. 326 Category (Survive) “In their view they don’t worry about their survival because they have another way to survive” 328-329 “I didn’t expect this type of expression from them regarding people who live in cities” ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Date: 25th January Line Nos. 339-415 338-341 Category (Joint family) Dhilharn: Our family is very big and joint family. From my grandfathers and great grandfathers’ time we are very poor we stop working and started eating our own harvested rice we don’t get money to plant again 344
Like this so many families are working here
Even our houses are made with stacked stones alone
Me: Then why don’t you work in cement factory or concrete factory?
347 350
351-355 Category (Work together)
Dhilharan: because we don’t know the work. We know only brick making and more over the main reason is in cement factory or concrete factory all the family members together can’t work over there. But in this brick making all of our family 75
members can work together and share our works and can live together. So for us the brick making is best. 358-359 I know this work from my childhood. we don’t have money to spend on education 364-366 For 1100 bricks we will get 530 rupees so per a day we will get nearly rupees of 1000. Actually this is enough for us with this we are very happy. 384-385 Me: Where ever we will get money we love that job. They are giving money so called every time we are traveling 1200 kilometers to do job here. 389 Category (Kids) “I saw many kids playing in the field everywhere” 391-394 DhilHaran: As our children are too young we won’t let them stay in home alone once they have grown up then we will leave them in our home town itself missing their school and study is being disturbed all this is for survival. But we don’t allow our children to continue this work. 399-400 government teachers are coming daily and teach them lessons. 403-404 Me: You told that you belong to banjara. What does it mean? DhilHaran: Banjara means our community name 411-414 DhilHaran: in our village I alone have to do for my wife there is no job. I will get 300 rupees daily. But here in brick making industry we both can work together and earn for about 1000 rupees daily. As we are doing since long back so we don’t want to go for another work.
76
Date: 27th January Line Nos. 421-505 421-426 Category (Hot sun) Every day morning I’m going there but they are working in hot sun. They told me that working in day time is too hard to compare with evening. In day time they have to use double the strength. Because in day time the water will evaporate easily and the mud transforming in to mould is too hard. Hands get hurt very badly. In that case if I go and make them to talk it causes disturbance to them. So slowly I have changed my visiting timings to afternoon. Day by day it shifted to evening 4.00 PM so that leisurely I can do my ethno till to night 9.30 PM. 436
Dilharan: everything is available in adalaj.
441-442 Tharuna: the temple is built with stones on every stone beautiful pictures are there. Idols are stone carved. Each and every stone has an idol. Temple is of four stairs. 449-450 Me:When do you get free time to go for shopping? 451 Category ( Holiday ) Dilharan:Friday is holiday for us 453
shopping and buy the things sufficient for 1 week
Tharuna: once you come on Friday we will take you to adalaj and show you everything.
Dilharan: the owner will give the money according to the number of people lives in each house.
Dilharan: Kami hai lekin jithana money ko vuthna vuthana rice milega.
455 462 473
477-480 Category (Bore well) For everything we need to have money. If we have money we can buy anything. Money rules the world.
77
Tharuna: In our village those who have bore well they are only harvesting crops. We have everywhere stones in our village. So the cement factories are more.
495-497 Dilharan: We have 24 hrs power supplies in our houses where ever you see 5 feet stones are available in our village. Water is available at 400-500 feet depth. 502-503 Here the expenditure for bore is 1, 50,000 but in our village it costs about 50,000. 505
Tharuna: so called we are coming here for 3-6 months work
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Date: 28th January Line Nos. 525-603 525-530 “Junnara jhull khadam ke phull mami jahave jhammala phull” I have tried it for two times but I didn’t get it mud get wasted. I don’t want to waste their effort and time so I have done only mixing of mud. 534
I have done for 3 days but today I want to try more and did.
536 Category (Balances) Top to bottom it is plain so if the balances out it fell down to right or left side 539-542 After experienced the handling of trolley I came to know how difficult it is. Again I moved to making of bricks but I can’t able to prepare the bricks bricks are not in a exact shape. Vicky Burman: very shy guy. 546
Vicky Burman: I know he is a famous singer 78
561-566 Category (Perfect mud) Dilharan:This is not a perfect mud to prepare bricks, red soil is used to prepare bricks. When it comes to cost it depends on contractor and the quantity Me: How can you tell that it cost that much? Dilharan: place and the living people matters. In our village no one buy for this cost. But in Gujarat cost of living is high so here people can afford that much money. In past our owner sell it for 12 rupees each brick. 577
Every Friday he will give money to all families for their groceries.
585-588 Dilharan: After 1 months holi festival will come then after that nearly one month I will stay here. Up to now how much money I have taken he will cut that amount and give me the remaining money. We will deposit the whole money in bank and will go back to our village. 597-603 Category (Biradari: Fraternity) Those customs and traditions are gone now-a-days no one is maintaining and following those systems. In our biradhari we will speak one specific language which is called banjara. So who ever speaking that language we recognize him as our caste people. Now-a-days no one is speaking that language and no one is wearing that traditional dresses. With that we are unable to recognize our community people. It’s good if they maintain but no one is following. “Tharuna asked me to take dinner and go. But I didn’t have supper there and told them we will have next time”. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Date: 31st January Line Nos. 619-715 619-620 Category (Cycle process) “Early morning 3.30 AM I woke up and got fresh up went to brick making industry by 4.30 The gate is closed in these days I didn’t saw that big gate” 626
Dilharan: 24 hours cycle process
79
628
daily this is a cycle process
629-630 we won’t bring our children here their studies are being disturbed. 639
Even If anyone has pending work in agriculture they will come back for 1 month late.
the factory will be closed it works only 6 months. Our care taker will debit the money in our account. They asked me to eat but I had only tea
“Shiva and prathiksha are preparing food”
641
647 650-652 Shiva (Dilharan son): bhaiyya please don’t take video Me: y? What’s the problem? Shiva: nahi bhaiyya sab log dhekthey na video pe.. 668
Dilharan: If they don’t know cooking how they will prepare food to their children
698-699 Category (Panchang)
Me:This March April was created by people, but the whole system already was created and written by god before itself,
702-703 Ours only panchang is the main director for every occurring events, like full moon day, festivals, etc. But, now-a-days everybody is looking in to calendar and blindly following it. 705-707 Tharuna: calendar is not with that many details as well panchang. Panchang is different. If a baby born then we will follow some specific properties, actions and conditions that will be there in the panchang, like we are not suppose to see the baby’s face in certain bad timing’s.
80
709-713 no bhaiyya everybody knows all these rules by own. No necessary to go for pandit always. Each and every family has to their panchang at home the elder people look the panchang and decide what to do and what not to do when to do all these tings the panchang so its almost vanishing now, panchang is a big book not like 12 papers calendar 715
Dilharan: In our houses elder will used to look after all these
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Date: 1st February Line Nos. 736-862 736-742 Category (Government job) Me: you don’t have thought of own business? Dilharan: to do business we need to have so much knowledge and money. But we are very poor we don’t have money. To live only be problem for us how can we have own business Shiva is not doing anything here just spending his time to roam around the bhatti At least if he studies up to 10th grade he can get some job in government. 752-753 Category (Expertise) So, observation, experience and embodiment with your work make you an expert and it will give meaning to your life. 757-756 Taruna: he will defiantly learn to do things. Dhilharan: very beginning of my married life I worked in railway After crossed our bhilaspur 3 line tracks are there on one track is for goods trains another is for local train and one more is for express trains. Frequently many trains will pass over there. When the three tracks are in usage I worked over there the joining is called diamond portion 780
Many people from my village are working in railway
782-783 But now-a-days if we are educated then only we will get jobs. Minimum qualification is 10th standard. government think that we are rich, that’s the reason they wont give job’s for our caste. 81
Me: I thought that banjara is a tribe, so banjara comes under reservation category
Me: I know you people belongs to Hindu’s, but I thought tribes
Dilharan: our banjara people are travelers
801 803 809-812 some banjara people earned money and went to somewhere and well settled As the family is increasing and the money gets decreased. Now I don’t have anything and became poor. 814
Tharuna:In banjaran movie is there
816-817 sridevi wear banjara dresses. All those dresses are our traditional dresses. She exactly looks like banjara girl. 822-823 Category (Customs and culture) Dilharan: In our marriages for both bride and groom faces gunghat will be there. But in these days it’s not happening everything is open. No one is following culture and systems. 826
Tharuna: first pregnancy we will not be seen by any one
we will have ghunghat to our faces I like the old systems only
828
832-833 Dilharan: in olden days, in-laws house 80-90 years old people used to scold brides for small mistakes. But in these days no one is scolding and if any one scolds no one is tolerating it. 834-839 Tharuna: If elders are there the young people will not even sit before them even in front of husband also. That much respect will have in those days. But now-a-days no one is respecting everyone is equally studying and both are equal. Till today we don’t speak in front of elders but now girls are talking before marriage and if she likes then only everything is fixing. We didn’t even saw our faces before marriage we saw our faces only in our marriage but now girls are quarreling with their fathers to marry of their own choice. 82
our community inter cast marriages will never happen
843-853 Dilharan: If any one loves anyone they pelope and get married. Those people are kept away from our village. If grooms family or bride’s family will help them or if they talk the whole family will be kept away from village and no one will talk to them. So no one will consider them in two of the castes. Tharuna: We strictly follow our cultural rules and regulations even after marriage if my husband wants to depart from me he has to tell the proper reason in front of panchayat people and has to pay me the compensation and has to pay back the dowry what he has taken during marriage. The same rules apply to the wife if she wants to leave the husband. Yes, who ever want to leave they have to sign on printed copy and pay the penalty. During marriage the offerings from neighbors and relatives also has to pay 856-859 our customs and culture is very perfect we will not leave them we don’t forget them. Dilharan: Now-a-days so many boys and girls are running away from home to get marry, but from in our biradhari nobody do’s that. Our child also follows our rules and regulations 861-862 “prathiksha shown me the kiran photo in mobile, I understood her intention” “Day by day everyone started liking me.” ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Date: 2nd February Line Nos. 874-981 874 Category (Useless Fellow)
“Shiva watching some Gujarathi movie in mobile his father Dilharan is scolding”.
Tharuna: we don’t know Gujarathi.
879 885-886 Dilharan: Like this daily he will upload 2 movies and watching full day. He don’t do any work he is wasting his life and time.
83
889
He is staying along with us so called he is cooking here. If he is in our village he used to be roam on roads for 24 hours. Falthu dhimak chalthi hey vuska.
897-899 Useless fellow. Tharuna: black mail us by telling I will take T.C. see how rude he is. 907
Dilharan: Shiva try to use the brain
912-915 Shiva will stand first in eating But my elder daughter is not like this she will eat everything, she goes to school and come back, she will cook food and eat, she will do all the works. She is more intelligent than Shiva and prathiksha. From childhood she didn’t came along with us for work she stays at our village and study 919 Category (She loves) She loves studying 922-925 Me: my health is not supporting Dilharan: health is not good how can you do? Don’t take risk. 940-942 This is not good as red soil because the mould will not be perfectly come. Tharuna: Basically red soil is good for brick making. Most of the people use the red soil only 945
Dilharan: little bit hard when compared to red soil
Dilharan: red soil is weight less and the brick making is easy and it is very strong than black soil.
947 950-951 Tharuna: we need not to mix all these things in red soil by default the red soil will have that strong nature. But in black soil we mix all these things for strongness 972-975 Dilharan: Not even a single work he will do perfectly. 84
If Shiva won’t study well I want him to learn these nuts and bolts work. And I want him to stay along with his father-in-law
978-981 He said I can’t do this donkey work and went away. He will do mechanic work nicely. He will repair cars also per repair charge is 5000-10,000. If he stays in city he can earn more money. Date: 5th February Line Nos. 998-1340 998-1000 Category (Wash your hands) Me: day after finishing of work Tharuna ji force me to wash the hands and legs with hot water but I feel so embarrassed because I feel that why do I waste the hot water as I’m not doing the work properly. 1005
Tharuna:So wash your hands
1010-1011 Dhilharan: Idiot he is a kam chor. 1018-1020 Category (Hard to work) Tharuna: No it’s so cold go and wash your hands and sit inside the home don’t come out Me: No.. My work is to sit and talk with you. You are doing work here what’s the meaning of sitting inside? Tharuna: If we listen to radio we can’t concentrate on work it leads to some disturbance for us 1032
Dilharan: Today owner has come and talked to me for long time
1035
Dilharan: he wants to check how the work is going?
1053
Dilharan: No problem we don’t have any problem really if you want to stay, you can..
1059-1065 in day time the mud will get hard easily so we need put extra strength on it to prepare bricks. Sometimes we will get heavy body pains and with that we will not do work. On that day we don’t 85
1068
get money and we lost 1000 rupees. If we take rest what is the use of coming here from longer distances? On Friday we will have holiday so I will be free you can come on that day we can talk for hours and you can have dinner here and can sleep here only. Me: Thank you so much but sleeping here is not possible. I can’t make you feel uncomfortable but defienetly I will spend maximium time with you on Friday your view towards world
1078-1079 Dilharan: I just thought about money only. For the only sake of money I’m doing this hard work and brick making. 1084-1086 to give some bribe to the contractor So in that time money needed is high. In bricks bhatti they will give 1000 rupees a day so why should I need to go for another job. So I left the job in railway. 1090-1091 Every Friday I and my brothers 3 members will have drink. We are poor know so we take white drink 1096
It’s made in pot by own it will be in packets in market
1099-1101 Category (Gudumba) Me: Gudumba, Sara “some other type of expectations on me” 1108
Me: so I will drink it along with you
1111
I also had it in my school days
1118
Tharuna: we don’t have any objection
1128
slum market and being with them as a friend
86
1138
Dilharan: No one is following customs and culture.
1148
20 years boy of my height is also a friend for us
1150
Here Every Friday I, Rajendra Nayak, Bihar Nayak will drink together.
1155
Tharuna: in this bhatti we only belong to banjara and came from one village.
1161
Dilharan:We used to support panja symbol party but now its not there lotus symbol came in to majority.
1166
our congress party lost. now Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are not doing that much so lotus party formed government.
1181
The government is not known about our problems.
1193-1194 Tharuna: We eat roti very rarely daily we eat rice 1220-1221 Dhilharan: You will feel uncomfortable with coming us. Me: Am very comfort with you people 1240
Dilharan: Sometimes if you didn’t come prathiksha is keep on waiting for you
1243-1245 Category (Reached safely) 1253
Tharuna:Everyday you are going in the night times so that we can call you and know you whether you reached safely or not. As you are going in night times we feel fear up to next day. wash your hands and legs with hot water
87
1255 1269
Me: If I work with you in cold then only I can able to understand how hard this work is. Its not like you are telling and I’m writing I have to do and feel it. Dhil haran: I told you know my cousins are there Rajan and Bihar Nayak I will go along with them. You directly come to home by 7/ 8’o clock for dinner. Me: No dilharan ji I want to come to market. If said no also I will come Dilharan: Might be he is a good friend to you.
1279-1280 Taruna: My sister stays in bhilaspur she don’t encourage outside foods whatever her children asks she prepares in home itself. 1289
Dilharan: As he is a railway employee
1293-1295 my wife sister she prepared chicken, mutton he brought English drink everything ate and drink. she prepares non-veg mouth full we eat and drink. 1300-1301 we talk with my daughter so that she feels happy. if we skip the call for one day she started crying. 1310 they also went to work in bhatti but not here. Near to chattisgahd prathapghad 1311-1312 all is working in bhatti only 1315
Chattisgahd is number one in position than other states
1339-1340 Tharuna: Bhaiyya, Climate is very cold; hot water is ready you can wash your hands and legs Me: ok thank you ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Date: 6th February Line Nos. 1361-1736 1361-1364 Category (Miss understanding) 88
“i didn’t understand why Dilharan has did like this. Am I doing any mistake? Or am I going beyond regarding ethnography? Am I over behaving with them? Might be Dilharan is not liking this as I’m asking his personal life without permission of Dilharan.”
1370
“Did I underestimate him? Is my observation is wrong?”
1386
Vikky barman: on Friday huge rush will be there
1389-1390 Shiva: Friday is holiday for all bhatti workers working in Gandhi nagar. So everyone comes here on Friday to buy groceries 1392 1396 1399
Suhasnayak: kam se kam 25 or more than that. Vikky barman: After seeing me he gets down from bike and talked to me. “if I continue with the owner Dilharan might think in a wrong way”
1406-1408 Me: Then where do you buy the drink? There are no wine shops in that market Dilharan: I have bought 4 packets 1451-1452 Dilharan: Bihar nayak is like my brother. We have been together in our home town so we all used to address each one as our own brothers. So like that he became my brother. 1462-1475 Category (Rishthedar) Tharuna: Bhaiyya what the owner is telling? Me: He just asked how the project is going. How much time it takes? Is it everything fine or any problem is there? He asked whatever you want to know did you know it. Did you get the answers? Whatever Dilharan do, I have to know it. Dilharan: Everybody in bhatti is asking me is he is your Rishthedari? Kirana shop owner and another side bhatti people all are asking where he lives? Is he is your rishthedari or (mehaman)guest? Apune family relatives. I said yes to them. Taruna: Daily they seeing you while stamping the mud and doing bricks so they thought that you might be our relative. 89
Dilharan: In our relatives he is the only person who completed his 10th standard. Bihar nayak: This work is very hard I can’t do it but what to do if we miss for one day there will be loss of 1000 rupees
1505-1506 early in the morning beautiful songs will come I like those songs. bhakthi channel 1517
our country is hindusthan and our national language is Hindi so in India has to speak Hindi not English.
1529-1531 You have studied up to 10th standard so called you came to point out the problem and giving solution to that for that I’m appreciating you. 1539
Dilharan: If you have one week holidays try to come to chattisgahd
1542
Me: I will come to your elder daughter’s marriage
1549-1556 Bihar nayak: Here one school teacher used to come but what happened we don’t know she is not coming now. Dilharan: Owner told her not to come. Me: He looks like a good person Dilharan: Owners will do rowdyism Me: what..?? Is it true? Dilharan: How can he do business without doing rowdyism? 1562
Me: Your neighbor babulal has gone to other side of bhatti why?
1566-1571 one day he drunk and started beating his wife and she is shouting and crying I got very angry Rajendhran Nayak and Bihar Nayak we all gave him a warning Our castes are different so he told to everyone that we have attacked him with our people. 1585-1586 Dilharan: Few minutes back when you are getting down from auto owner has met you and talked to you know I was very afraid of that. 1588
Tharuna: You are a new person he doesn’t allow new persons in to bhatti 90
1590
you as an informer
1600
Me: what is this bati, boti?
1604
Bihar Nayak: in our language boti means chicken. Roti is called as bati,
1607
Dilharan: you become as our family member
1621-1629 Category (School teacher) Teacher used to bring a stick daily he beats us daily and he is a harijan we are OBC. We don’t liked it so called we discontinued our studies. Me: Means you are OBC so you don’t like if SC/ST teacher beats you, so you discontinued. If he would belong to upper caste you may have gone to school and if he beats also you don’t mind it. Isn’t it? Dilharan: We don’t like if we beaten by someone. “They think that teacher belongs to SC, ST he might have grudge on upper caste people so called he is beating. Or else truly that teacher is beating all the people. Anyways they have that problem in their mind so called they discontinued their studies” 1632
If teacher is not good how our children can study?
1635
almost 45 days has gone but they didn’t issue TC.
1637 1646
Bihar Nayak: we three Rajendhran, Dhilharan and me has gone. Straightly we have asked him whether you give TC or shall I beat you. Immediately he gave us TC. Me: Ma ji chicken curry is too good… full tasty.
1653-1655 you are very lucky to have well cooking wife. she is sharing your profession Anyway women are great they can do multi tasking. 1658-1665 Tharuna: Enough this is the last peg don’t pour more to brother. Me: exactly ma mathlab ma hotha hai... She takes care about children as like this... 91
Dilharan: She has been telling don’t pour much. Tharuna: I think you got full drunkenness. For this night stay here and go by tomorrow morning. We will provide you mat and bed sheet you can sleep here. Bihar Nayak: Everyday in TV advertisement will be coming don’t drive when you drunk. Me: “Don’t drink and drive”. If I’m not in a state to go hostel definitely I will stay here but maximum I will try to go.
1677-1686 Thanks ma ji for preparing such a delicious food for me Dilharan: Hardly we stay here for more 2 months so whenever you want to eat you can come and eat happily. Me: So whenever you cook this food make a call to me I will come. Tharuna: Every Friday we will eat so Friday evening at any time you can come. I will prepare for you. Me: Why can’t you sit along with us to eat? Tharuna: No bhaiyya I will eat after you finished. Dilharan: Its ok she will after serving to us. 1688
Why she has to eat after ours?
1694-1699 Dilharan: In friendship giving and taking is not a matter. Me: I always hear that in poor families love and affection will be more but in rich families they will be less. Dilharan: aap ka sahi bath hai, ek dhum perfect..!! Tharuna: Come for holi festival bhaiyya... 1703-1709 Category (Promise) Me: at holi time in what work I will be I don’t know I will come for holi and Friday evenings without any relationship you offered me dinner and without having proper language for me you understood my words and talked with me. These types of people I can’t find in my life. Dilharan: Don’t think like that I’m treating you as my younger brother You can come to my home whenever you want Next Friday I will bring fish so come for dinner. If you have week day’s holidays you try to come to chattisgahd. 1719-1721 Dilharan: In our family ladies should eat after her husband eats. That’s our culture and tradition.
92
1723
Me: But that should be changed Dilharan Ji, she is working along with you so if she eats along with you time can be saved Me: Wife and husband should be equally treated each other.
1728 Dilharan: Yes our elders will scold if wife eats before to husband. She has to eat after her aunty, uncle and husband eats. These are following from our ancestors. 1733-1734 Tharuna: Go carefully bhaiyya. After reached hostel make a call. Me: Ok sure... But I’m not coming from tomorrow if I require anything I will come and meet you. 1736
Me: If you want any help from my side don’t hesitate to ask
Date: 9th February Line Nos. 1745-1913 1745-1752 Category (Power dynamics) “I don’t have much interaction with owner occasionally sometimes when passing on bike he says hai to me. power dynamics Category (Affection) asked me why are you not coming to field for the past 2 days? you come to field now I was tensed and didn’t understand why these children developed affection on me? So I have gone to field” 1754-1755 Me: I won’t come daily but I will come occasionally. 1776-1777 this is the last day It’s never ending process 1780-1781 developing habit of understanding people so that in every situation we can understand others opinion
93
1791 1823
Owner: I have to come compulsorily if not quality problems will arise I will see their doing and warn them if they can’t do this work I will tell them to leave. I have to sell the stock if they do bricks in their own I have to lose money so in that point I’m very strict.
1828
Burning process is the hardest work of all. Money to be spent is high on that
1831
burning process is too risky per month the expenditure on burning process is 42,000.
1834 Category (Burning process) burning process is the main if the brick won’t burn properly it will be waste. 1837
This burning process will continuously run for 24 hours on one side the bricks are burning and on another side arrange dry bricks so these two circles are continuously filled one after the other time to time workers shift their duties and by adding coal and burning will go on. As the work depends on workers risk the cost will be high. Everyone don’t know Bricks arrangement and arranging them in correct manner uploading and downloading from tractor all these includes so the labor cost will be high.
1870-1871 Category (Businesses) I don’t know other businesses I will do the same business for more 10 years after that I will think whether I have to do any other business or not? Now I don’t have thought of other business. 1873-1879 Category (Red Soil) We can do the bricks only with agriculture land soil. So many brick industries are there. We can prepare good quality of bricks with top soil so the first layer is red soil and those are first quality bricks second layer is black soil quality is not good but the cost is same as red soil bricks we should not remove top layers for soil, so government has passed rule land should not be disturbed do bricks with fly ash and cement. Things can be changed in these 10years 1882-1883 Pure black coal is the A grade quality government has stopped providing that material to Bhattis. 1885-1887 Me: do you have any problems with workers?
94
Owner: We will have problems every where but no one will tell me directly if they have any problem they will tell to caretaker.
1912-1913 Me: Ok try to come to Hyderabad. Owner: Danger place know Hyderabad.
95
Synthesis Categories 107-165 Perfect arrangement of bricks: In brick making the main step is the burning process. They will burn the bricks perfectly without any mathematical calculations they deal this process, how many bricks will fit in one row and how many bricks will fit in one column, in which pattern bricks has to be placed so that each and every will burn, brick to brick how much gap should be there, if the bricks are placed 10feet above the ground even though hollowness is there they won't fall down like that they arrange the bricks in such pattern so that every brick will burn. They do all these works with planning. Even though the fire starts at bottom they design the arrangement so that they can walk on and sit. This is their specialty. Good relation: Good relation: Even though hierarchy is there interactions and way of engagements with the owner to the worker will be peaceful, workers and owner will good opinion on each of them, and if they have problems with each of them they don't have the habit of complaining to each other Right place: People are very co-operative, whatever I ask they are answering me very patiently, much difference between last time social group and these brick makers, I got to know these people are very patience and have good behavior. First day only I felt that I'm at the right place. Reflexivity In Bhatti, burning process gives more importance because it is the final output for the owner, and it's a risky job even for the workers. The arrangement of Bhatti needs expertise so these experts are paid more. “EIT KA BHATTA� is not a small place and is not a small business, this is a kind of factory, but I have taken a small group of family, so in this hierarchy problem are less. Our culture has decided that a husband holds an upper position than his wife, in the same way the workers would not be having any kind of clashes or misunderstandings as they would not have any discussions with the owner. If they have any complaints, the mediator / caretaker who bought the would deal those complaints. And the place of work would be peaceful.
Categories 179-198 Technology: Technology: Brick making is an ancient technology, it is discovered in Sindhu civilization, Harappa & Mohenjodaro civilization as it is an ancient technology no one will give importance to it, even who is dealing with this brick making won't feel it as important, when I ask them how you learn it? They told me there is nothing to learn it, we have been seeing it from our childhood so we are doing now. I didn't expect this opinion on work from them, everyone in the field told me that for the sake of money we are doing, no one told me as we have passion towards this we are doing it, when i asked them why this work only you are doing, they told me as we don't know other work we are doing this. They are treating this brick making as a simple technology but 96
Synthesis for me it looks like a wonderful technology, from the making, drying up to burning the best part is the arrangement of bricks in burning canal and arrangement of dry bricks for easy counting. Banjara: Taruna ji values much for customs and culture, in their village there won't happen intercaste marriages, if anyone wants to do inter caste marriage they have to elope and get married. If anyone did that they are called to panchayet and sent away from the village. If anyone from bride side or from bridegroom side people try to talk with them, they will also send away from the village, they maintain very strict conditions, and Taruna ji is a big fan of actress sridevi in 1990's there is a film named banjara sridevi acted in that film Taruna ji got influenced with that film I came to know with her words, when the shooting is happening in Taruna ji village for that film all the film unit got interact with village people I can understand all these from her words. . Ssoldier in battle: when Dilharan doing his work he do very professionally, his work with shovel like a soldier uses his sword in war, if he works that add beauty to the work. Maximum I would like to do what Dilharan does in the field I keep on remembering the Anand sayings " It shapes you as much as you shape it, " he does his work very beautiful but it looks more beautiful for me. Reflexivity I got awareness on technology by attending the classes of PHILOSOPHY OF TECHNOLOGY by anand. After attending those classes I started watching videos on technology, as all the videos were in English I was not able to understand the exact meanings of the words. Unfortunately, I watched a video of KANCHA ILLAIAH (an Indian Activist for Dalit Rights) . I understood clearly what ANAND was trying to explain. Kancha Illaiah said leather and brick technology was first technology in India. From those videos I have got a clear picture on the technology which we are using in brick making and production of leather, meanwhile Jignesh suggested ethno on craft, but I have decided to do a project on brick making instead of leather because we don’t get leather in Gujarat. I was disappointed when I got to know that brick making workers doesn’t know the history of bricks. There is a wonderful style in workers in the brick making process from the beginning to the end product there is an art. Each worker has potential and confidence in them to reach the target of making 1100 bricks in a single day. I don’t know whether it is called as a passion or for survival need. Usually people think Banjara as tribes, but in real they aren’t tribes, they are upper caste people. I dint believe it at first, later thought maybe they are upper caste in some other states. Tarun ji tells about the customs and traditions of these Banjara.
Categories 206-330 97
Synthesis Survive: They don't have a survival problem if not this another Bhatti or agriculture, like this they will survive by doing any work and whatever they have earned by that money they will buy land or else until they get new work to do them live luxurious life with their money this is called life I came to know this is Leela aunty's opinion. Education: Everyone thinks that education is important for their children, but Leela aunty will be far away from education, she close her opinion about education by telling simple thing that they don't have money for education. In Leela aunty's life money and land are more important. City life: Leela aunty and Gori both told that city life is bad, this is Leela aunty opinion Gori's opinion is also same as her mother why they have this opinion is, city people don't do their bath because there is water scarcity in cities, and in house itself they have bathrooms, they do bath there itself they will eat there itself and sleep there only. Bad culture, dirty habits everything she explained, Gori supporting the Leela aunty's words. I didn't try to defense because I simply want to know their opinions Reflexivity Leela aunty strongly believes that working as a labor isn’t a difficult task for her survival, as she was working as a labor worker from her childhood. She knows only earning money from labor work, When she in the village, she used to work in agricultural fields or in a factory or any other work where she would be able to earn money for her survival. Leela aunty doesn’t have any opinion on education as her parents don’t have enough money to send her to school so she is into labor work as her parents. She knows the only labor work and Gori would also be getting married to a boy who would also be a labor worker. Leela annuity is not thinking a life beyond being a labor worker and she would be having a better life beyond this and also a better life for her children. I understood that Leela aunty’s opinions, beliefs and their reflections are on Gori, as she would believe in her mother and believes that she is always correct, because Gori would think that mother would take the right decisions for her children. Gori is the last daughter of Leela aunty. Rest of children were married Gori is last for marriage, so Gori would spend all her time with her mother. Leela aunty is a guide/ friend/ and everything for Gori. Gary doesn’t have any friends or social life for her so Leela aunty’s share knowledge, experience with the outside world with Gori, now I understood that Gori is in a position that she would not be able to take her own decisions. Categories 339-415 Joint family: Rajendhran Nayak in his childhood days as he has grandparents, his parents leave him at grandparents and passed to their works. But now for Rajendhran Nayak doesn't have that facility to look after his children because his parents passed away. So as he doesn't have relatives, the families he has taken his children along with him. After they have grown up and can able to 98
Synthesis handle their work by their own until then we can't leave them alone at home. So with this their study are being disturbed, he kept on feel for this cause. Work together: Brick making is very hard to do, only men can do I, that the situation Dilharan wife also helping him this is great, without wife help no family in this Bhatti can do their work, basically no house will run without a wife, because from looking after children to husband professional life everything is handled by wife alone. The presence of multitasking capability housewives gives strength to survive for the total family. Kids: In whole Bhatti if we think that for each family there are 1 or 2 kids total approximately 25-30 children will be there, they always roam and play here and there in Bhatti, they don't think about that they are wasting their time because their age is like that even I did same in my childhood, but this is a big defect their valuable time is getting wasted in their childhood so that they will face many problems in future. The person who has to study 10th class, now he discontinued his studies and roaming in this Bhatti so to complete 10th class, he will be reaching almost 20years, at that time if he came to know the value of the time he can't go back and repair it. Reflexivity Almost all families in Bhatti are in the same situation. They would travel for kilometers to earn money for their survival. After seeing all this I guess, the husbands would travel to other places for earning money leaving their wives and children at home. But I think brick making is the best deal for the people of Bhatti as they can earn money and they can stay with their families. Without a woman we people would not be able to survive as they would look after our family and children and women would be able to handle her home and she would help her husband in his profession. So these women would accompany their husbands to work along with them. But the only problem is they would take their children to their workplace by doing this the children would not be able to go to schools. Most children of these workers would stop schooling and stay with their parents for six months and another six months they stay at home. Very few children have grandparents, so children who, having grandparents stay at home with them, but maximizing these people don’t have that chance, so they take their children along with them to their work place till their children would be able to do the work and stay alone at home. Categories 421-505 Hot sun: Early morning 4'o Clock they will start their work and continue up to night, apart from lunch break and tea break they don't have any other breaks, early morning up to emerging of hot sun the work will be going freely but whenever the hot sun rises starts the temperature will automatically raised and simultaneously glucose levels in the body will get decreased and when the temperature gets raised whatever mud they have prepared in the morning get dried up and becomes as a large brick so brick makers has to prepare bricks very fastly continuously they have
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Synthesis to spray the water, as the work doing very fastly muscles get stressed and starts paining. If it is in evening the temperature will be little bit low so without starin they do their work. Holiday: Whole week they work and on Friday they take a full day holiday, not only for this Bhatti all bhattis present in and around Gandhinagar they all have a holiday on Friday, on Friday in adalaj market heavy rush Will be there, especially for brick makers these market people will bring additional materials, almost all Bhatti workers will come there on Friday and meet everyone. Dilharan and his friends will bring drinks on Friday as it was a holiday for them, every Friday evening Bhatti owner will give money to them to buy their groceries, minimum he will give 2000 for each family so that they will bring groceries which is enough for the whole week Borewell: As there is water scarcity in chatthisghad everyone don't have crop lands, whoever have Borewell they have agriculture lands with full of crops, if they want to get borewell they have to spend 50,000 rupees on that, Eventhough there is no guarantee for borewell. offo in our village it cost about 50,000 but here in the city it costs about 1,50,000 Reflexivity Even after explaining how hard their work is and about their problems, I thought that I should not disturb them during daytime. So instead I started meeting people in the evening hours. They would sit peacefully and patiently would share their feelings, experiences, and problems with me. With this the bond, relation between me and these people has become strong. Every Friday was a holiday for these workers, so I thought if I go on Fridays I could spend more time and can gather more inputs early for my project. So I started visiting these people even on Fridays and as I thought I got maximum right inputs, moreover from that day the bonding between us has become stronger.
Categories 525-603 Balances: Mud trolley is the most difficult thing I have seen in the field, Dilharan while doing his work I didn't find any difficulty, but when I started doing work I realized that the trolley has only one tire till then I didn't recognize it. When we filled trolley with mud and lifts it get fell down to the side having weight, everyday I tried it for 5 times I can balance it for 3times. Then I understood that balancing it is a very difficult task. Till now I didn't understand how perfectly they are balancing it? For the first time I got angry about designing of trolley but workers are handling it, so I understood that balancing is their smartest Perfect mud: Dilharan want to stop doing this work and went off because the mud using in this Bhatti is not perfect mud, so he told the owner that he doesn't want to do this work and went off then owner convinced Dilharan and brought red soil and mixed with remaining soil. I have asked 100
Synthesis him why? What? The weight of the black soil is more and gaminess is less and this soil is not as strong as red soil, to get that strangeness for black soil we have to mix fly ash and salt, Even though it's not as much stronger as red soil bricks and in brick making we have to do heavy work mud weight is more, we can prepare only 50 bricks in a time of 100 bricks making so called I want to stop doing work here Biradari / Fraternity : most of the times Taruna always talks about in our Biradari, we will maintain and follow customs and traditions but now-a-days no one is following even my mother tongue language Banjara also no one is talking everyone is talking in hindi, atleast our traditional dress is not wearing no one everyone is wearing jeans, if we ask they are telling that this is fashion if everyone wear same dress and talking same language how can we recognize that who belongs to which community and who belongs to which caste? In these days no is following customs and culture.. Reflexivity Expertise would come by doing and practicing the work, but not by barley seeing the work. By doing some work we would know they know how’s and what are the difficulties in that work, sometimes we tend to forget simple logics. Same thing happened with the trolley, I felt making of bricks is a great work, but taking the mud with shovel and putting it in the trolley & dumping it at the workplace is the most difficult part. When the size and shape of the brick is not correct, they would manipulate by adding or removing, but carrying the heavy weight of mud in a single tire trolley, balancing it is very tough. I was shocked when Dilharan told me that he is not anymore interested in working there because of poor mud quality. I thought that he has good moral values, later he explained me why he is asking about quality is not for moral values or ethics, but good quality is for controlling the weight of the brick. Bricks made of red soil are of less weight, whereas the bricks which are made of black soil would weight more. If brick weight is less the worker’s work would also become less. Dilharan brought his problems to the notice of his owner and got it solved is itself is a great thing. Tarun ji would always tell about the culture, traditions and customs. They can be followed to some extent, but expecting to follow in all generations is foolishness. We cannot force people to wear the same kind of dress which was used to wear in earlier days by our young generations. I think, may be the were dresses, designed according to the climatic conditions at that time or the fabrics used for the dress by the designer were in fashion in that generation. We have dress up according to our comfort levels, but by wearing these kind of old fashioned dresses does not variate people by name of caste or biradhari and our people now in this generation doesn’t need to know about these variations in biradhari by wearing a particular kind of dress in the name of culture, traditions or customs
Categories 619-715 101
Synthesis Cycle process: From the wake up in the morning till to bed time we will work continuously if we stop our work for any reasons, whatever mixture we have prepared in the morning will get dried up and becomes as a hard brick, so we have to decide prior to the preparation of mixture like this we have to work for 6months round the clock Panchang: Taruna ji & Dilharan respects ancient technology, Panchang, they think that English calendar is not the perfect one and this January, February was created by British people but prior to them our ancestors have told and written everything for us in Panchang what to do on which day, if baby births what name has to keep, when we have to celebrate festivals everything is already written in Panchang, almost Panchang means it came directly from god so there is need of pandit for Panchang, if Panchang is there elder people can see it and tell what is right and what is wrong. If everyone follows this Panchang its helpful for mankind like this Taruna ji and Dilharan supports Panchang. Reflexivity When we ask people in BHATTI regarding their work they would give an answer as round the clock cycle process. On the first day when I went to meet these people, they looked healthy including Dilharan but when the days passed the personality of these people showed difference day by day. By the end of one month Dilharan has become so thin. I accept that PANCHANG is also a technology. Earlier they won't disclose the logics and used to maintain secrets and gave the name of god’s creation and fate & highlighted the god. People have stopped thinking of how this technology and knowledge has come from, who invented this. I saw some good and bad thoughts from Tarun ji regarding the Panchang. To see the Panchang we don’t need a scholar or a pandit as we call them. Panchang can be seen by elderly persons also. Earlier for a particular time and to suit according to those conditions, certain customs and rules were written which we blindly follow those customs and rules even now and deciding that these true and correct.
Categories 736-862 Government job: Dilharan's life has many experiences all these overlap and want to see these in shiva's life he has been changing his decision, sometimes he will tell that shiva has to do job in railways some other time he wants Shiva to work in mechanic shop if he work with nuts and bolts so that he can earn more money, but in his heart he want shiva to do railways job but to get that Job he has to complete his 10th standard..
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Synthesis Expertise: we have been talking about general topics but he didn't revel the important topic that early days of his married life he worked in railways in contract basis for his settlement purpose. In that job he got good name and identity for his work, after some days his job is getting permanent at that time to get permanent workers has to pay bribe to government with the help of contractor as Dilharan don't have money he left that job and joined another job which he can earn more money he came in to brick making field and started his life in brick making. Reflexivity Dilhararn is in a thought that the jobs which he has seen and worked in life are the best jobs. Basically every individual would decide on what they have seen in their life and the knowledge they possess. By seeing Dilharan railway job or his brother-in-law’s mechanic work, even Shiva would also be in a thought of doing the same kind of jobs. I suggested to Dilharan that, every person has their own talent the only thing we have to do is to find out that talent have to train them to the expertise level. When I suggested regarding the finding out the talent, Dilharan started sharing his experience in his railway job. He said that he has job satisfaction in that job as they would appreciate his work and the talent he possesses. Categories 874-981 Useless Fellow: Dilharan always think about his son shiva, because if son is studying and going to school daily father will have assurance that his son will get job but Shiva won't go to school and won't help his father in bhatti, if we ask him to do anything he will cry, infront of me Dilharan will scold Shiva in a sensitive manner 1) useless fellow, 2) kaam chor 3) even feeding his is also waste 4) beekar .... etc Like this if Dilharan scolds also Shiva won't care it shiva's behavior is so different, he talks like I'm not a child I have grownup and I know everything. Really he is an useless fellow. She loves: Dilharan's elder daughter is Kiran, he loves his daughter more than what he scolds his son shiva. Of course elder people in the home will be so responsible as in my home. Kiran also does her work in responsible manner, studying and regularly going to school up to my knowledge she is a good girl.
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Synthesis Reflexivity People when they become old they are in a thought they know everything and would take decisions about their children and family without concerning them. They don’t agree to a particular thing easily and if we try to tell they think we are nagging. The same happened with Dilharan. That is why I haven’t tried to convince them, but when Dilharan scolds Shiva I try to soothe him by sharing my experiences with my father because even I experienced the same kind of situations in my life. Obviously Shiva, mother supports him and when Dilharan nags Shiva anytime Tarun ji supports Shiva. Normally daughters are always daddy’s little princesses and fathers are most caring towards their daughters that too when his son doesn’t do anything neither studies nor job. In such a situation the shifts to the person who are more responsible. Kiran stays away from her parents, maybe this also a reason Kiran parents are more concerned, worried and are more caring for her.
Categories 998-1340 Wash your hands: Everyday up to 8pm I will also work along with them, I will also try to work without wearing any Chappals like them, but Taruna ji always used to tell me that we're Chappals while working, before I finish off my work she start telling me wash your hands, I will arrange you hot water don't sit outside come and sit near the bonfire, wear sweater, socks like that she keep on telling me like she says to her kids. Hard to work: "Yee bahuth mehanath ka kaam hai" almost everyone in Bhatti tells this if we ask them, "jithna Kaam ko vuthna paise" someone tells like what we are getting money for this work is not reliable. Then I asked why don't you ask him to give more money they told me before we are coming here caretaker will tell us everything about money then only we will come then how can we ask him to hike our salary we can't ask, so if we work hard also the money will fixed. Gudumba: Whole week working body start paining so to forget that body pains each person drink 2packets of Gudumba, in starting days they told me to not to drink Gudumba as it is cheap quality they ask me to get English drink to have, but I said its ok no problem I have habit of drinking Gudumba whatever you brings to drink same as bring it for me, from then onwards every week its become a normal thing even I tell them that its enough for me don't offer me anymore they won't listen my words and pour some more but Taruna ji used to tell don't give him much drink but as it is every week its happening. Reached safely: Every day Taruna ji used to tell that its became so late eat with us and go. I used to escape by saying no, not this time I will have some other time finally she told me to go safely, don't go speed as it is night time there will not be much traffic even though go slow there is no
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Synthesis hurry, and after reaching call us if not we fear about our wellness up to tomorrow. All these are told to me by Taruna ji everyday. Reflexivity Poor, rich, age, caste, student, labor we don’t see a difference in all these when we share drinks with each other, everyone is considered as an equal person. So I shared a peg of drink along with them and that was the moment when I and Dilharan came closer and attached. They would drink to relax and to forget their body pains, to build a good relation with them even I have taken a peg and drank what they drink . Here I have taken a risk for myself by drinking what they drink ( Gudumba ). From the very first Tarun ji was so concerned about me as a guest, that is the reason he has controlled me from drinking of Gudumba and he would be worried till I went back to my hostel and would give him a phone call that I have reached safely.
Categories 1361-1736 Miss understanding: I have a positive opinion on Dilharan according to my observation and analysis I have decided he is very calm and genuine person, but quarrel with babulal's family(neighbours) making them to vacate the house and Eventhough I told him that I'm on the way and asked him to wait for 5minutes he didn't wait and went to market, with all these experiences I have lost my confidence about my research study and I thought that I have done wrong in my study as Dilharan has another behavior which I don't it till now but after knowing the reasons for all these I felt very happy that my thinking is not wrong and Dilharan didn't do any mistake. Rishthedar (Family member): Within a short span of time Dilharan family members became very close to me, they respect me more than I respect them. As I'm working with them daily, became as part of their family, surrounding neighbors are asking Dilharan about me so he replied to them in one word that he is our family member (Rishthedar) even Dilharan family members also treating me in that point so subconsciously I have become their family member. School teacher: School teacher: Education system in village in the past days for the whole school there will be only teacher, even students' strength also very less. But now-a-days government is providing schools and school teachers in rural areas, but the teachers apart from teaching lessons to children they are talking on mobile phones, not respecting their job, concentrating on their own matters rather than teaching in school all these lead to spoiling of education. Moreover, for the sake of money principal is not allowing the students to go and study in other areas and not giving them TC he is playing with students’ lives. Promise: The friendship between me and Dilharan family became strong, so with that they took a promise from me regarding every Friday I have to come their home for dinner, this friendship should continue forever, once in a lifetime I have to come their home in chatthisghad. Even for me 105
Synthesis also I didn't experience this type of relation with any one, I have promised them that I will come to their elder daughter's marriage.. Reflexivity After Observing these people for a few days I started predicting them by analyzing their behavior. And I had a gut feeling that my prediction won't be wrong, but I was very upset when raising doubts on Dilharan behavior. I was upset because what I thought or predicted about him was wrong, later I got to know the actual reason for that on the same day. By knowing the reason my mind dint get much disturbed or else I would lose interest in the study of ethno and social group. I never gave any negative comments or never confronted their thoughts, I would listen to them patiently. They trusted me as I believed and accepted what they have shared with me, they have a positive impression on me. When I said even I would like to work along with you people as I cannot sit idle & relaxing and watch you working, though I was giving importance for them. But I felt guilty that in spending time with them only for the sake of my project and after leaving from there I would be busy with my college and studies. So I told them I would come and meet them on Fridays and also visit their home in Chattisgarh even after completing my project. In this I had my selfishness, as their food was delicious and they respect me more than where I usually don’t get at other places. People in Bhatti even the owner gives me great respect which I do not want to miss.
Categories 1745-1913 Affection: Day by day Dilharan family increasing their affection towards me, so I don't feel uncomfortable with them, but the way prathiksha talked to me on the phone made me feel tensed. When I'm doing my field work in Dilharan home, she is quiet but when I was not there she forced her parents to call me and if I didn't come she became upset and if I don't say hi to her when I entered field she behaves in a different manner like a psycho. Power dynamics: There will be limited interaction between owner and workers, most of the time owner will discuss with caretaker only if any maintenance problem arise or any where work is not happening properly owner talks with caretaker only, the caretaker will guide the person where the work is not happening properly, here all the workers have interconnections, if anyone hurts anybody, all will be in loss. For example - if the caretaker hurts any worker if he didn't do any work and left off there is a problem for caretaker, how much work they do and submit bricks the money depends on the count of bricks so no one want to escape from work. As workers are not permanent employees owner won't feel that he has humble rights on workers. So it’s like he gives respect and take respect.
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Synthesis Red Soil: Red soil is the first layer of agriculture land. Only in Gandhinagar there are nearly 25 and above Bhatti are present, it means per day, nearly 40,000-70,000 bricks will be manufactured means we can estimate the quality soil they are used for making of bricks. With this the agriculture land has spoiled so called government has kept conditions like not to use the soil in much quantities rather than they can use fly ash, salt and black soil to be mixed with soil. With this the brick quality will decrease and the burden to workers will increase. Red soil is weightless and strong, black soil is heavy weight and less strangeness. But cost is the same for both soil and bricks. Reflexivity Prateeksha Dilharan’s daughter does not have much exposure and interaction with the other community or the outside world, maybe that is the reason why she is so affectionate and fond of me as I was completely a new person to the family. When I come in the morning to the field, she expects me to talk to her first, then with the rest of the people, she won't agree when I talk to others first instead of talking to her. And she would be dull all, the day when I don’t turn up to the field. I could not handle the sudden change of affection in her. The owner does not have much competition challenge and aspirations in the business. His father has established the business its doing pretty well with profits and also they have some properties. So the owner does not have any future aspiration regarding the development in the business. The owner’s basic responsibility is to count the bricks, checking the quality. He don’t even maintain the minimum office hours, he would visit the place when he gets bored at home and leaves the work areas when gets bored of it. He doesn’t have any future plan till 10yrs and he said he would start thinking about it after 10yrs. With this attitude I got to know that he don’t have seriousness in his life.
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DAY 1 In Bhatti, burning process gives more importance because it is the final output for the owner, and it's a risky job even for the workers. The arrangement of Bhatti needs expertise so these experts are paid more. “EIT KA BHATTA” is not a small place and is not a small business, this is a kind of factory, but I have taken a small group of family, so in this hierarchy problem are less. Our culture has decided that a husband holds an upper position than his wife, in the same way the workers would not be having any kind of clashes or misunderstandings as they would not have any discussions with the owner. If they have any complaints, the mediator / caretaker who bought the would deal those complaints. And the place of work would be peaceful.
DAY 2 I got awareness on technology by attending the classes of PHILOSOPHY OF TECHNOLOGY by Anand. After attending those classes I started watching videos on technology, as all the videos were in English I was not able to understand the exact meanings of the words. Unfortunately, I watched a video of KANCHA ILLAIAH (an Indian Activist for Dalit Rights) . I understood clearly what ANAND was trying to explain. Kancha Illaiah said leather and brick technology was the first technology in India. From those videos I have got a clear picture on the technology which we are using in brick making and production of leather, meanwhile Jignesh suggested ethno on craft, but I have decided to do a project on brick making instead of leather because we don’t get leather in Gujarat. I was disappointed when I got to know that brick making workers doesn’t know the history of bricks. There is a wonderful style in workers in the brick making process from the beginning to the end product there is an art. Each worker has potential and confidence in them to reach the target of making 1100 bricks in a single day. I don’t know whether it is called as a passion or for survival need. Usually people think Banjara as tribes, but in real they aren’t tribes, they are upper caste people. I dint believe it at first, later thought maybe they are upper caste in some other states. Tarun ji tells about the customs and traditions of these Banjara.
DAY 3 Leela aunty strongly believes that working as a labor isn’t a difficult task for her survival, as she was working as a labor worker from her childhood. She knows only earning money from labor work, When she in the village, she used to work in agricultural fields or in a factory or any other work where she would be able to earn money for her survival.
Leela aunty doesn’t have any opinion on education as her parents don’t have enough money to send her to school so she is into labor work as her parents. She knows the only labor work and Gori would also be getting married to a boy who would also be a labor worker. Leela annuity is not thinking a life beyond being a labor worker and she would be having a better life beyond this and also a better life for her children. I understood that Leela aunty’s opinions, beliefs and their reflections are on Gori, as she would believe in her mother and believes that she is always correct, because Gori would think that mother would take the right decisions for her children. Gori is the last daughter of Leela aunty. Rest of children were married Gori is last for marriage, so Gori would spend all her time with her mother. Leela aunty is a guide/ friend/ and everything for Gori. Gary doesn’t have any friends or social life for her so Leela aunty’s share knowledge, experience with the outside world with Gori, now I understood that Gori is in a position that she would not be able to take her own decisions.
DAY 4 Almost all families in Bhatti are in the same situation. They would travel for kilometers to earn money for their survival. After seeing all this I guess, the husbands would travel to other places for earning money leaving their wives and children at home. But I think brick making is the best deal for the people of Bhatti as they can earn money and they can stay with their families. Without a woman we people would not be able to survive as they would look after our family and children and women would be able to handle her home and she would help her husband in his profession. So these women would accompany their husbands to work along with them. But the only problem is they would take their children to their workplace by doing this the children would not be able to go to schools. Most children of these workers would stop schooling and stay with their parents for six months and another six months they stay at home. Very few children have grandparents, so children who, having grandparents stay at home with them, but maximizing these people don’t have that chance, so they take their children along with them to their work place till their children would be able to do the work and stay alone at home.
DAY 5 Even after explaining how hard their work is and about their problems, I thought that I should not disturb them during daytime. So instead I started meeting people in the evening hours. They would sit peacefully and patiently would share their feelings, experiences, and problems with me. With this the bond, relation between me and these people has become strong. Every Friday was a holiday for these workers, so I thought if I go on Fridays I could spend more time and can gather more inputs early for my project. So I started visiting these people even on Fridays and as I
thought I got maximum right inputs, moreover from that day the bonding between us has become stronger.
DAY 6 Expertise would come by doing and practicing the work, but not by barley seeing the work. By doing some work we would know they know how’s and what are the difficulties in that work, sometimes we tend to forget simple logics. Same thing happened with the trolley, I felt making of bricks is a great work, but taking the mud with shovel and putting it in the trolley & dumping it at the workplace is the most difficult part. When the size and shape of the brick is not correct, they would manipulate by adding or removing, but carrying the heavy weight of mud in a single tire trolley, balancing it is very tough. I was shocked when Dilharan told me that he is not anymore interested in working there because of poor mud quality. I thought that he has good moral values, later he explained me why he is asking about quality is not for moral values or ethics, but good quality is for controlling the weight of the brick. Bricks made of red soil are of less weight, whereas the bricks which are made of black soil would weight more. If brick weight is less the worker’s work would also become less. Dilharan brought his problems to the notice of his owner and got it solved is itself is a great thing. Tarun ji would always tell about the culture, traditions and customs. They can be followed to some extent, but expecting to follow in all generations is foolishness. We cannot force people to wear the same kind of dress which was used to wear in earlier days by our young generations. I think, may be the were dresses, designed according to the climatic conditions at that time or the fabrics used for the dress by the designer were in fashion in that generation. We have dress up according to our comfort levels, but by wearing these kind of old fashioned dresses does not variate people by name of caste or biradhari and our people now in this generation doesn’t need to know about these variations in biradhari by wearing a particular kind of dress in the name of culture, traditions or customs.
DAY 7 When we ask people in BHATTI regarding their work they would give an answer as round the clock cycle process. On the first day when I went to meet these people, they looked healthy including Dilharan but when the days passed the personality of these people showed difference day by day. By the end of one month Dilharan has become so thin. I accept that PANCHANG is also a technology. Earlier they won't disclose the logics and used to maintain secrets and gave the name of god’s creation and fate & highlighted the god. People have stopped thinking of how this technology and knowledge has come from, who invented this. I saw some good and bad thoughts from Tarun ji regarding the Panchang.
1.) To see the Panchang we don’t need a scholar or a pandit as we call them. Panchang can be seen by elderly persons also. 2.) Earlier for a particular time and to suit according to those conditions, certain customs and rules were written which we blindly follow those customs and rules even now and deciding that these true and correct.
DAY 8 Dilhararn is in a thought that the jobs which he has seen and worked in life are the best jobs. Basically every individual would decide on what they have seen in their life and the knowledge they possess. By seeing Dilharan railway job or his brother-in-law’s mechanic work, even Shiva would also be in a thought of doing the same kind of jobs. I suggested to Dilharan that, every person has their own talent the only thing we have to do is to find out that talent have to train them to the expertise level. When I suggested regarding the finding out the talent, Dilharan started sharing his experience in his railway job. He said that he has job satisfaction in that job as they would appreciate his work and the talent he possesses.
DAY 9 People when they become old they are in a thought they know everything and would take decisions about their children and family without concerning them. They don’t agree to a particular thing easily and if we try to tell they think we are nagging. The same happened with Dilharan. That is why I haven’t tried to convince them, but when Dilharan scolds Shiva I try to soothe him by sharing my experiences with my father because even I experienced the same kind of situations in my life. Obviously Shiva, mother supports him and when Dilharan nags Shiva anytime Tarun ji supports Shiva. Normally daughters are always daddy’s little princesses and fathers are most caring towards their daughters that too when his son doesn’t do anything neither studies nor job. In such a situation the shifts to the person who are more responsible. Kiran stays away from her parents, maybe this also a reason Kiran parents are more concerned, worried and are more caring for her.
DAY 10 Poor, rich, age, caste, student, labor we don’t see a difference in all these when we share drinks with each other, everyone is considered as an equal person. So I shared a peg of drink along with them and that was the moment when I and Dilharan came closer and attached. They would drink to relax and to forget their body pains, to build a good relation with them even I have taken a peg and drank what they drink . Here I have taken a risk for myself by drinking what they drink ( Gudumba ). From the very first Tarun ji was so concerned about me as a guest, that is the reason he has controlled me from drinking of
Gudumba and he would be worried till I went back to my hostel and would give him a phone call that I have reached safely.
DAY 11 After Observing these people for a few days I started predicting them by analyzing their behavior. And I had a gut feeling that my prediction won't be wrong, but I was very upset when raising doubts on Dilharan behavior. I was upset because what I thought or predicted about him was wrong, later I got to know the actual reason for that on the same day. By knowing the reason my mind dint get much disturbed or else I would lose interest in the study of ethno and social group. I never gave any negative comments or never confronted their thoughts, I would listen to them patiently. They trusted me as I believed and accepted what they have shared with me, they have a positive impression on me. When I said even I would like to work along with you people as I cannot sit idle & relaxing and watch you working, though I was giving importance for them. But I felt guilty that in spending time with them only for the sake of my project and after leaving from there I would be busy with my college and studies. So I told them I would come and meet them on Fridays and also visit their home in Chattisgarh even after completing my project. In this I had my selfishness, as their food was delicious and they respect me more than where I usually don’t get at other places. People in Bhatti even the owner gives me great respect which I do not want to miss. DAY 12 Prateeksha Dilharan’s daughter does not have much exposure and interaction with the other community or the outside world, maybe that is the reason why she is so affectionate and fond of me as I was completely a new person to the family. When I come in the morning to the field, she expects me to talk to her first, then with the rest of the people, she won't agree when I talk to others first instead of talking to her. And she would be dull all, the day when I don’t turn up to the field. I could not handle the sudden change of affection in her. The owner does not have much competition challenge and aspirations in the business. His father has established the business its doing pretty well with profits and also they have some properties. So the owner does not have any future aspiration regarding the development in the business. The owner’s basic responsibility is to count the bricks, checking the quality. He don’t even maintain the minimum office hours, he would visit the place when he gets bored at home and leaves the work areas when gets bored of it. He doesn’t have any future plan till 10yrs and he said he would start thinking about it after 10yrs. With this attitude I got to know that he don’t have seriousness in his life.